The nomenclature - the Soviet ruling class

After a socialist revolution the power in a camp has concentrated in hands of "a new class» (M.Dzhilas) who leant against Communist party. The party system served as only external registration and simultaneously cover of class essence of its domination. Having received the exclusive power and having subordinated itself the state, «a new class», according to M.Dzhilasa, began to dispose of the national property exclusively. The socialist property was a basis of the absolute power «new class», a source of its privileges. «The new class» was made by revolutionaries, semiliterate workers and the military men who have entered Communist party. If in January, 1917 the party totaled 23 600 members in 1924 - 350 thousand So was created the Soviet party bureaucracy. In 1937 H.A. Бердяев wrote:«This new Soviet bureaucracy, stronger, than imperial, is a new exclusive class which can Cruelly maintain broad masses.

Control questions to a theme

1. What reasons of existence of a political inequality why one people make decisions, and carry out other them?

2. Than the special role of political elite in society development is caused?

3. Than the political elite differs from economic, military, intellectual etc.?

4. How proved requirement for V.Pareto's elite? Than he explained division of elite into "lions" and "foxes"?

5. How defined G.Moska's elite?

6. Than division on operating and operated in R.Mihelsa's concept is caused?

7. How sources of a political inequality in modern conditions have changed?

8. How prove a place and a role of political elite modern writers?

9. What maintenance of the theory of "a new class» M.Dzhilasa?

10. By what criteria various types of elite are allocated?

11. What does the modern political elite represent? What systems of selection in elite exist?

12. Name merits and demerits of existing systems of selection in elite.

13. What is the nomenclature? What reasons of its formation?

14. Why political elite in Russia name «a political class»? What reasons of its occurrence?

15. How the social shape of a political class on an extent of history of Russia changed?

16. What features distinguished the Soviet ruling class?

17. What does the modern Russian political elite represent? What type of elite is characteristic today for Russia: "lions" or "foxes"?

18. How you think, whether there was a change of nomenclature elite in Russia? Give reason for the answer.

19. What tendencies of development of the Russian political elite?

Logic tasks and problem questions

1. The English sociologist M.Young in 1958 in the book «Rising of democracies» has formulated the theory меритократии (from an armour. meritus - a merit, advantage and греч. kratos - the power). In it he specified that the board of the organised majority outgrows in so-called меритократию, that is board by means of the persons having special merits and advantages. Degree of social progress, according to M.Young, depends on a measure of a combination of the power and intelligence.

A bit later the American sociologist D.Bell marked: «the Principle меритократии should get into universities, business, the government. The society which has no best people at the head of its leading institutes, is sociological and moral absurdity». How you think, what it is better - board of the majority or board by means of the qualified experts? Whether it is possible to believe, what at the heart of a political management of modern Russia the principle меритократии lies?

2. G.Moska has revealed three ways of existence of "a political class»: 1) "perpetuating" without updating; 2) "perpetuating" with updating; 3) frequent updating. To what of the listed ways can consider as the optimal for forward development of a society?

3. German sociologist P.G.Drejtsel has entered concept «sociopolitical elite», assuming that exist social and political elite which differ with degree of influence on acts of other people. What from listed below groups under the maintenance of resources and ways of influence enter into social elite, and what - in political:

1) those who takes the higher positions in group, the organisations, institute which they have reached as a result:) efficiency of the knowledge; possession the power or influence on decision-making process on preservation or change of social structure;

2) those who participates in нормотворчестве;

3) those who can be an example of behaviour for others;

4) those who thanks to the prestige is standard defines behaviour of people?