Information on the thesis

The dynamism of the development of modern political systems is due to the influence of global processes of informatization and globalization. They define new standards of society, aimed at increasing the level of stability and order as the basis of progressive socio-political development. The processes of political modernization are an effective mechanism for the practical implementation of qualitatively new changes related to the structural and content-based updating of political systems, the creation of opportunities for the development of a social and legal state and civil society. In the course of institutionalization, the political elite acquires stable structural and functional characteristics that determine the features of intra-age interaction, specify the procedure of political activity and technological tools necessary for optimization of the set goals and objectives. The high level of institutionalization in the political system allows the elite to demonstrate subjectivity in initiating and practical implementation of national modernization projects. The achievement of the set goals and objectives is conditioned by the legitimacy of the structure of the elite institution, the effective institutional environment, the efficient allocation of resources, the definition of the procedure for political modernization activities and the choice of appropriate technologies of political activity.

The author’s concept of institutionalization of the elite in the processes of modernization of political systems was proposed, which allowed to comprehensively consider the structural and functional characteristics of the elite institute and specify its subjectivity in the implementation of the political modernization activity. The peculiarities of the genesis of the political modernization paradigm were explored and the scientific discourses, actual in contemporary political reality, were specified. The conceptual-categorical apparatus and methodology of research were substantiated. The expediency of combining theoretical and methodological and practical-political levels of research of the institutionalization of the elite in the processes of modernization of the political system of Ukraine was proved. The use of paradigmatic, systemic, neoinstitutional, synergetic, technological approaches, supplemented by the historical, hermeneutic, comparative, structural-functional, as well as general scientific methods of scientific research provided the realization of the theoretical-methodological level of research. The conducting of pragmatic and situational types of political analysis has provided completeness to the practical-political level of research.

The features of institutionalization of the elite were investigated. Its structure and functions as a political institution were specified. The criteria for institutionalization of the elite in the processes of political modernization were specified. The institutional environment of the functioning of the political elite as a set of legitimate rules of interaction, which form the corresponding algorithms of activity in the processes of political modernization was investigated. Its structural components are the rules and norms of interaction, as well as the dominant political practices. It was proved that the processes of legitimation contribute to the consolidation in the public consciousness of values and the models of political modernization corresponding to them. They provide the expediency and competitiveness of the activities performed by the elite in the context of raising the standard of living. The subjectivity of the elite in the processes of modernization of the political system was considered through the prism of the combination of structural and procedural approaches. The technological model of the modernization process, specified by the relevant technologies of political activity, was presented. A comparative analysis of the institutionalization of the elite in the political systems of Spain, Germany, Turkey and Ukraine was carried out. This contributed to the development of practical recommendations for optimization of the institutionalization of the elite in the processes of modernization of the political system of Ukraine.

The level of institutionalization of the elite, its subjectivity in the implementation of modernization transformations can be improved due to: 1) update of the staffing of the status-role grid by attracting the potential of youth leaders and conducting of lustration; 2) creation of conditions for forming a regime of partnership cooperation with civil society and business structures on the basis of mutual recognition of obligations and responsibilities regarding the modernization of the political system in the conditions of global development; 3) formation of an effective institutional environment that will increase the level of openness of intra-age interaction, optimize communication practices with civil society and provide sequences of procedural and technological aspects of the process of political modernization; 4) initiating a national modernization project that is in line with the current trend of global development; 5) activating the mobilization and consolidation potential of civil society through raising the level of national consciousness and political identity.

Key words: institutional environment, political elite, political system, political legitimation, political modernization, political institutionalization, political institute, political subjectivity, political technology.