Pokatov Dmitriy V.

Introduction. Instability of social development, permanently emerging crises make it necessary to quickly and
effectively respond, taking necessary measures at various levels of governance, directly related to the activities of the
political elite. In recent years, the issue of significant transformation of its composition, replenishing it with representatives
of various social strata, characterized by the necessary professional and personal potential has been particularly
acute. The intellectual stratum is becoming quite important among them. The aim of the study is to examine
the features of the modern status of intellectuals, their place in the structure of the basic segments of the political
elite and their socio-political role in modern conditions.
Materials and methods. The methodological basis was the methods of structural-functional and comparativehistorical
analysis, as well as value-normative approach taking into account intellectual layer features. Consideration
of the features of the modern status and the characteristics of the basic segments of the stratum of intellectuals is
based on the content-analysis of the biographies of 685 representatives of the modern Russian political elite and 271
representatives of the regional elite (including 136 in the Saratov region and 135 in the Volgograd region).
Results. The study made it possible to say that the modern layer of intellectuals has the necessary quality characteristics,
including education, experience and professionalism, with the exception of the special ethical self -determination
characteristic of the intelligentsia, associated with the prevalence of value priorities and motivations of
activity. At the same time, the layer of intellectuals in the modern domestic elite is quite fragmented and differentiated
in its composition, educational and professional characteristics.
Discussion. The research has shown that the differentiation and segmentation of the layer of professionals does
not allow them to reveal their full potential. The cohorts of formal-technocratic stratum and de-ideologized experts
united in this layer do not play the role of propagandists and educators, but mediators in the preparation of projects
necessary for the representatives of the ruling elite. The materials of the study can be useful for civil servants representing
various levels of public administration, and researchers engaged in the problem analysis.

Social mobility is an integral social process naturally manifesting itself in the course of socio-political development. One of the founders of the concept of “multidimensional mobility” P. A. Sorokin aptly noted that in modern society the movement of an individual and social object or value which make up the essence of the mobility process are interconnected and cover various spheres of social life. The political subsystem of society and the segments operating within its boundaries, including the political elite, are no exception here. The progressive, stable and innovative development of modern society is impossible without updating its subsystems, primarily the political one, which, in turn, directly depends on the  political elite renewal, the arrival of new politicians. With this in mind, the author dwells, first of all, on the definition and analysis of the basic features of political elite mobility. It is also noted, that some recently published research works considered elite mobility a type close to political circulation, or a regrouping of the ruling elite. However, the author believes that the process of political elite mobility cannot be reduced to a kind of political circulation only. The mobility of the political elite is a process of transformation of the elite personnel potential, a form of social and political mobility, of both progressive and transitive varieties, contributing to the replenishment of the elite with new political actors who change their positions. This process is close to circulation, but it is neither a change of elites nor, at the same time, leading to a systemic elite renewal. Under normal conditions, it indicates a certain modification of the political elite (in relation to the ruling elite group) and partly spontaneously objective transformation (regarding the non-ruling, counter-elite). The author considered the specifics and forms of political elite mobility, based on the analysis of the biographies of 685 political elite representatives, including both members of the ruling elite group (heads of the executive, legislative and judicial authorities of the federal level), and the counter-elite (leaders and leadership of leading political parties, social movements and organizations).

The results of the author’s analysis of the biographies of 685 political elite representatives allowed to identify and characterize such forms of elite political mobility as linear-traditional and transitional (liminal), including forms identified according to the criteria of levels, manifestation forms and activity fields.

The purpose. This article is devoted to the examination of the peculiarities and principles of the innovational strategies of the modern political elite in Russia. The methods. While revealing the peculiarities displaying the innovational principles in the administrative strategy and the practice of the modern Russian political elite, the author uses both common to all sciences (analysis, synthesis, inductive and deductive) and specially-scientific, including the comparative-historical and structural-functional methods. The results. This work characterizes the two basic paradigm forms which are metin the administrative practice of the elites – “extensive-technocratic” (traditional) and “innovational” (socially oriented) most often. On the basis of the comparative analysis, the peculiarities of using the principles of the innovational management in the political strategy of the modern political elite are revealed and the social factors determining their consolidation and real displaying in the modern social reality of the Russian society are characterized. The scientific novelty. Both social determinants, defining the principles of the innovational management of the elite and the conditions promoting and preventing their realization, are revealed and analyzed.

Purpose. This article is about the analysis the specifics of the political elite as a specific social phenomenon and the basic trends of its transformation in the transition to a postmodern society. Methods. The study focuses primarily on the theoretical understanding of the phenomenon of the society political elite and is based both on scientific methods (deductive, inductive, analysis and synthesis), and specially-research, including comparative historical, institutional matrix (with respect to the study forms of recruitment of elites) methods. Results. The article describes the features of the political elite, revealed its foundation, professional creativity and the basic components of combining personal characteristics, functional status and symptoms, as well as socio spiritual traits. Author considered the most important trends that contribute to the transformation of the political elite in the transition to the postmodern stage in social development. Scientific novelty. Author identified and analyzed not only the basic components of the political elite of modern society, but also revealed the social factors and mechanisms of their transformation in the transition to a postmodern society. First of all, this applies to the characteristics of a number of social strata and groups that make up the social structure of modern society, and extending the social basis of the elite and to the process of political recruitment.