Galitskaya K.A.

Purpose. To establish the presence or absence of relationship between the level of corruption and the legitimacy of state power. To analyze how the level of corruption affects the legitimacy of state power. Methods. To solve the issue, two opposite approaches existing in the scientific community are analyzed. The first, which is more common, is that corruption is assessed as a factor negatively affecting the legitimacy of state power. In the second approach, it is noted that the possibility of committing corruption crimes with impunity ensures the loyalty of the state authorities among the elites. Taking into account the theoretical approaches, the paper compares surveys and ratings that demonstrate the perception of corruption by the population in the Russian Federation with surveys that reflect the level of legitimacy of state power and other indicators that reflect the studied problem. Results. Using the empirical data, the relationship between the level of perception of the problem of corruption and the approval ratings of the authorities and trust in it was established. It was found that the dynamics of perception of the problem of corruption does not always correspond to the dynamics of actual corruption. It is concluded that the level of legitimacy of state power depends on the level of perception of corruption, which may not correspond to the actual level of corruption due to the many factors, including such as active coverage of corruption issues in the media, public response caused by individual corruption crimes, etc. In addition, the author makes a conclusion on what types of corruption affect public opinion and may negatively affect the level of legitimacy of state power. The scientific novelty includes complex consideration of the influence of corruption on the legitimacy of state power by comparing statistical data characterizing different sides of the studied phenomena.

Purpose. To analyze changes in the ways of legitimation the power of the President of the Russian Federation from 2012 to 2018 and to identify the impact of political and socio-economic factors on this process. On the basis of the analysis to determine the most effective ways of legitimation of the power of the President of the Russian Federation at the present stage of socio-political development of Russia. Methods. On the basis of the modern classification of the ways of legitimation of power the analysis of two regular forms of communication of the President of the Russian Federation is carried out: «Direct line» with citizens and the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly with elites. The choice of the subject of analysis (transcripts of the «Direct lines» and the presidential Address) is explained to the heterogeneity of the processes of legitimation of power, depending on the recipient of legitimation (people, elites). Thus, the ways of legitimation are analyzed not only on the basis of a given time interval, but also on the basis of the characteristics of the recipients' perception of the legitimizing message. Results. The main ways of legitimation the power of the head of state used in the framework of the «Direct line» and the Presidential Address are revealed. A comparative analysis of the features of legitimation through the «Direct line» and Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly. The factors contributing to the increase of the level of legitimacy of the Russian President's power before the Presidential elections in March 2018 are identified. The ways of legitimation, allowing to maintain a high level of legitimacy of the presidential power in difficult socio-economic conditions, are revealed, and the features of their use are defined. Scientific novelty. The method of determining the ways of legitimation of the power of the President of the Russian Federation is developed. On the basis of this approach, the most effective ways of legitimation of the power of the President of the Russian Federation are identified, as well as the prospects for their further use.