ТЕМА №6. ПОЛИТИЧЕСКАЯ ЭЛИТА. Мунтян

POLITICAL ELITE

Set of people, each of which has received the appreciation in the area, we name elite.

Vilfredo Pareto

I. One of basic in political science of concepts "elite" etymologically occurs from Latin “eligere” to (select) or French “elite” (the best, perfect, selected). In a political science it is used in neutral value, reflects possession representatives of elite as much as possible expressed, the highest in a politiko-administrative scale of measurements by lines. Independent элитистские concepts have arisen only in the end of XIX century. Adherents элитизма proved and continue to give reason for the positions that the history does not know exceptions and consequently the power of minority over the majority is eternal. In their opinion, existence of elite is caused by action of following factors:

- A psychological and social inequality of people, their unequal abilities, possibilities and desire to participate in the politician;

- Objective law of public division of labour which demands professional work management as a condition of its efficiency;

- The high public importance of administrative work and its corresponding stimulation;

- Ample opportunities of use of the administrative activity directly connected with distribution of socially significant resources, for any reception of social privileges;

- Practical impossibility of realisation of universal control of activity of political leaders;

- Political passivity of broad masses of the citizens which main vital interests usually lie out of policy sphere.

Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923) in the basic works “Social systems (1902)” and “the Treatise of the general sociology” (1916) has formulated the concept according to which the society appears in the form of a pyramid balance and dynamics in which is determined by ruling minority standing at its top - elite. Elite is that best that is created in society bowels, they arise from its lower class, during struggle rise in the higher circles, blossom there, and subsequently degenerate and disappear. It on change so-called counterelite which take place the same phases of development and decline come, and then too are replaced by new elite. Thus similar change, as a rule, marks itself alternation in power different types of elite, in particular, "foxes" (resourceful, artful and unscrupulous) and "lions" (possessing feeling of fidelity to the state, conservative-minded and not afraid to apply force), using various management methods and властвования. The main quality both that, and others this scientist considered ability to apply force there both when and where it was necessary. Кругооборот, circulation, change of elite and counterelite of Pareto named “the universal law of history”.

Formulating the concept, Pareto recognised that the major case of allocation of elite groups is certain psychological tendencies belonging to its representatives, personal qualities which distinguish them from other weight of the population. Thus, it has conceptually issued Platon's numerous ideas, Fridriha Nitsshe (1844-1900), T.Karlejljaand other thinkers who specified in presence of the certain human qualities expressing an inequality of people both dividing higher and the lower class. The Italian scientist has divided elite on correcting and not correcting, considered revolution only as struggle for change of those or other elite groups in power. Potential elite, masking under “people voice”, wrote Pareto, induces weights to discontent with ruling elite, uses the people as herd of rams with which help it punches a hole in the shabby fence protecting the Olympus of former elite, and makes the way, thus, to power tops. Then the new elite exhausts this national herd in same "stalls" of a public order.

As the founder of other, functional direction in a science about elite, consider one more great Italian sociologist and the political scientist - Gaetano Moska (1858-1941) who in works “the Theory of management and parliamentary board” (1884) and “Elements of a political science” (1896) considered elite as group of the managing directors who are carrying out certain social duties. However, instead of concept "elite" it operated with a category "ruling class" is more often. The Italian researcher underlined thus that along with the properties distinguishing representatives of "ruling class" others (riches, military valour, an origin or possession of a management skill), the main reason of its imperious power was high degree of internal organisation and unity. This property also allows elite to concentrate a management of a society and the state in the hands. According to Moski, the elite main task as special political class consisted in strengthening of the domination, and it is even not so much de jure, how many de facto.

This scientist has given steadfast attention also to processes of change of structure and continuity in ruling class development. In particular, having allocated in it democratic and aristocratic tendencies, he underlined that prevalence of last group of managing directors expressing aspiration anyhow to become hereditary and constant, conducts to “to closing and crystallisation”, and then to elite degeneration.

German scientist Robert Mihels (1876-1936) developed about the same approaches to the social mechanisms which are giving rise in a society of elite, as Moska. It especially allocated the organising abilities ennobling an administrative layer and transforming it in political elite, has formulated a conclusion according to which the organisation of a society demands an elitism and naturally reproduces it. This conclusion has received popularity as “the iron law of oligarchy” which essence consists that democracy for self-preservation and stability achievement is compelled to create the organisation, and it is connected with elite creation - active minority to which should trust in weights because of impossibility of their direct control over this organisation. Democracy in that case inevitably turns to oligarchy as the one who says a word "organisation", that simultaneously speaks also a word "oligarchy". According to Mihelsa, national leaders, having broken in political elite, change the social status and concentrate forces on protection own, already elite interests.

II. Now элитология proceeds them that thepolitical elite is the big social group which is possessing high enough level of political influence and being the basic source of the managerial personnel for institutes of the power of this or that state or a society. In a political science criteria are developed and the parametres are defined, allowing to differentiate and estimate various elite theories, allocating among them:

- Concepts макиавеллистской schools which unite ideas of special qualities of elite, its group unity, a recognition of an elitism of any society naturally following from natural human nature;

- Valuable theories (José Ortega-and-Gasset [1883-1955], etc.), trying to combine an elitism with democracy;

- Theories democratic элитизмаwhich supporters approach to democracy as to a competition on elections of various elite groups for trust of voters (Sejmur Lipset [a sort. 1922], Charles Manhejm [1893-1947], Giovanni Sartori [a sort. 1924]);

- Concepts of pluralism of elite (Rajmon Aron, Robert Dal, etc.), start with treatment of political elite as elite functional;

- леволиберальные concepts of elite which are some kind of an ideological antipode pluralistic элитизма (Ralf Miliband,1923-1994, etc.);

III. The Political elite is the group of persons which is professionally engaged in activity in sphere of the power and government (parties, other political institutes). It makes only certain part of wider elite social classes as a whole. To the basic functions and the problems of political elite opening its central role in management by a society and the state, concern: acceptance and control of realisation of decisions; formation and репрезентация group interests; продуцирование political values; ability to a manipulation public opinion.

The structure of elite of the modern states is rather difficult. Known categories of elite and counterelite are already insufficient for the characteristic of work of mechanisms of state machinery. The Polish scientific V.Milanovsky has suggested to consider structure of elite circles depending on performance by their internal groupings of original functions in sphere of political management. As he considers, special value has “селекторат”, including those persons who are potentially ready to performance of professional functions in political sphere. In “селекторат” those who influences promotion of representatives of the population, and those who prepares for execution of these roles enter also. As following elite formation “potential elite”, the representing isolated elite groupings just aspiring to the power, preparing for elections act. Those from them which have lost elections, but remained in the public policy, make “amateur elite”. Authoritative representatives in a society of these circles can influence decisions made in the state only indirectly. In the same segment two basic elite formations - opposition and supporters of the governmental forces settle down also.

The elite which has won elections gets the status of "ruling political elite”. It consists of representatives central, regional and local authorities. A special structural element of political elite is “elite in the politician”.They represent versions of not selected elite which consist of the most authoritative representatives of the technical and humanitarian intelligency, visible writers, scientific, sportsmen, managers of the show business, capable to help not win elections to those or other parties but also to support their political requirements in the conditions of crises or a routine current of political processes. But the most powerful and simultaneously mysterious elite grouping is “the connected group” which represents informal anonymous community of politicians which influence made decisions, but not necessarily possessing the formal status in power system.

IV. The Great influence on social imposing appearance, qualitative structure, professional competence and productivity of elite as a whole is rendered by systems of its selection or as it is often qualified in the politological literature, рекрутирования. Two are Most known and extended from them - гильдийная and entrepreneur systems. In the pure state they meet seldom enough, both have the pluses and minuses.

For system of guilds following peculiar features are characteristic:

Closeness, selection of applicants for higher posts mainly from subordinate layers of the elite;

Slow, gradual way upward;

Presence of numerous formal requirements for post employment - party membership, age, the work experience, formation, the management recommendation, etc.;

The small, rather closed circle селектората into which members of a higher body or the one first head enter only;

Selection and appointment of shots as narrow circle of heads, absence of an open competition;

Entrepreneur the system рекрутирования elite is in many respects opposite to system of guilds. It distinguish:

- The openness, ample opportunities for representatives of any public groups to apply for employment of in the lead positions;

- A small number of formal requirements, institutional filters;

- A wide range селектората which can include almost all voters of the country;

- High competition of selection, a rivalry sharpness for employment of supervising posts;

- Variability of structure of elite, the paramount importance for this purpose personal qualities, ability to find support of wide audience.

V. Political elite in Russia. Till 1917 the political elite of the country was formed by the soslovno-bureaucratic principle supposing possibility of existence of counterelite, in days of the Soviet power - on bessoslovno-nomenclature, excluding even hypothetical possibility of occurrence of any opposition. The essence of nomenclature system consisted in appointment of persons to a little socially significant supervising posts only under the recommendation of corresponding party bodies of the CPSU, in elite selection from above.

Since 1990, before aspiring to imperious heights of Russia people all set of the means which were available for this purpose as in the countries of the West, and the East has opened. Into political elite began to enter probably as through “a nomenclature door” executive power, and through parliament, leaning against support of parties. The nomenclature past became one of characteristic features of postcommunist Russian elite. Its low business and moral qualities in many respects explain permanence and depth of crisis of the Russian society last decade, mass distribution of corruption and irresponsibility. The present Russian political elite did not become essentially new politiko-cultural phenomenon, in a management there were basically shots which have begun the political way to Soviet period and were put forward on a little significant posts in days of reorganisation that has allowed a kernel of nomenclature elite to keep the positions and in a new Russian society.

At the same time in 90th years “the new elite” which was represented by the young, vigorous leaders who were actively engaged in business has started to be formed so-called. They express today interests not only quickly enriched groups of the financial, trading capital, but also criminal structures. Some of them have gone to a policy, others remained in business, actively enjoying in the activity by support of politiko-administrative structures and bodies. An important tendency of political processes in Russia is promotion in republics, regions of an influential layer этнократии (intellectual, political, cultural leaders, carriers of local or national consciousness), become by an important, leading part of regional political elite. It is necessary to notice also that with change of political system sources элитообразовательного process (the power, the property, money, force) have concentrated in hands of executive powers - the president, its administration, the government. It has allowed them to supervise and direct processes of formation of elite. Now the political elite of Russia turns to the closed formation more and more: spontaneous рекрутирование it is in essence complete, selection on supervising posts reminds lines of the nomenclature approach more and more.

Meanwhile from experience of development of the modern democratic states appears that successful social and economic and political reforming are possible only at system use рекрутирования the elite, based on the competitive beginnings and high requirements to business and moral qualities of political and administrative heads. Rather weak political activity of citizens, low productivity of activity of modern Russian elite, incompleteness of formation modern, that is corresponding to "history calls” supervising layer and at the same time its paramount importance for country transformation - all it does a problem of political elite especially actual for the present and the future Russian society.

Мухаев