The control system, or control system, serves as an instrument for implementing the policy of the state. This is quite understandable, given that the concepts of "politics" and "political" are characterized by ambiguity. But to the question: "What is politics?" People tend to respond in different ways. There is talk, for example, of the monetary policy of the banks, the policy of the trade unions during a strike, the policy of the school authorities of the city, the policy of the management of an enterprise or school, even the policy of a clever wife who seeks to control her husband.

What is politics anyway?

What is the meaning of the term "politics"?

Politics in the proper sense of the word is, on the one hand, a sphere of people's activity, where interaction is carried out between various, often opposing or conflicting, socio-political forces regarding power and power relations between these forces. In this regard, politics is closely connected with the political world. Moreover, these terms are often used as synonyms.

On the other hand, politics is understood as a form of activity of the state and its institutions, society, political parties, organizations, movements, and even a single individual in managing various areas of public life: the economy, the social sphere, culture, education, science, healthcare, etc. .

Politics in one form or another affects all citizens of the state. Huge masses of people pursuing their social, economic, cultural and other interests take part in it. The degree of complexity and versatility of politics depends on the scale of economic, social, ethno-national, confessional and other forms of pluralism in society.

The policy is designed to solve everyday and strategic problems vital for society, to develop and implement programs to ensure the viability, effective functioning and further development of both society as a whole and its individual subsystems. In this regard, they talk about economic, industrial, agrarian, social, military, education, health care, and so on.

In other words, with the help of a targeted policy, social processes are managed. It is no coincidence that politics is sometimes called the art of government. In this sense, politics includes both conflicts, struggle and competition for power and influence, and joint actions of people in search of best ways functioning and development of society and the state. That is why people talk about political conflicts, political struggle, political course, political programs, and so on.

Of particular importance from this point of view is the resource of power. Without power, there can be no normal, effective politics. Those researchers are right who believe that any social problem acquires a political character if its solution is in one way or another connected with the authorities.

Politics is closely connected with decision-making. It embodies the interconnection and interdependence, the dialectic of internal and external conditions and factors in the development of society and the state. Therefore, it is natural that politics is divided into internal and external.

Domestic politics

Domestic policy is a set of areas of state activity in the economic, social, scientific, educational, demographic, law enforcement, military and other important areas of public life. To achieve the goals domestic policy the state uses a wide range of funds, such as the state budget, taxes, social security system, funding for science, education, health care, judicial and law enforcement agencies.

The policy of the state in various spheres of public life is by no means limited to the national level of the central authorities. As mentioned above, government in the state is carried out at three levels: national, regional and local. Accordingly, the policy is also carried out at all these three levels.

Various directions of the internal policy of the state are distinguished. They talk about economic, industrial, agrarian, social, military, employment, labor relations, education, health care, law enforcement, and so on.

For example, the state owns the main role in the creation and maintenance in due order of infrastructure in key areas of public life: the economy, transport, energy, social sphere, science, education, etc. It serves as a guarantor of freedom of entrepreneurial activity, protection of the rights of the owner and consumer rights, etc.

Particularly indispensable is the role of the state as a guarantor of maintaining a competitive environment, where antimonopoly or antitrust legislation is of decisive importance. The state plays an indispensable role in the monetary and financial sphere, ensuring the reliability of the national currency and the stability of the monetary system. A key place in the policy of the state is occupied by the preparation, adoption and distribution of the state budget.

One of the most important activities of the state is social policy, which is a set of measures taken and implemented by the state to ensure the well-being of the general population, prevent disproportions in the incomes of various groups of the population, reduce and mitigate the consequences of social inequality, create tolerable living conditions for the poor and the poor, the elderly and the disabled, etc.

In this direction, the policy of the state in the field of science, education, and health care is of particular importance. In general, social policy performs the function of stabilizing society, preventing and overcoming social and political instability, which is crucial for the viability and effective functioning of society and the state. Obviously, social policy covers a very wide range of issues relating to almost all spheres of public life and the vast majority of citizens of a given state.

In this area, the effectiveness of policy cannot and cannot be measured in terms of profitability and competitiveness.

In this regard, the existence of such spheres and institutions is of no small importance, the results of which cannot be measured in terms of material payback or non-payback, profitability and competitiveness of products, as is customary in the field of economics. Here, the criteria for ensuring social justice and the spiritual health of society are of fundamental importance.

These are, in particular, education and healthcare systems, social assistance to the disabled population, fundamental science, maintaining the country's defense capability, law enforcement, etc. Management of various kinds of conflicts that arise in society is of particular importance. Here the main goal is to prevent, neutralize, settle, resolve conflicts.

Interethnic relations are an independent object of state policy. They are of particular importance in multinational states. As is known, in modern world most countries are multinational. In conditions when the ethno-national factor has come to the fore and has become a catalyst for many contradictions and even armed conflicts, this problem is becoming increasingly important.

The policy of the state in this direction is designed to provide legal, social, cultural, political regulation of interethnic relations. It is important to take into account that the state has a special responsibility for protecting and ensuring the interests of the rights and freedoms not only of an individual person or citizen, but also of ethno-national, confessional, cultural and other minorities, regardless of their social status, race, nationality, religion.

An important component of domestic policy is a policy aimed at protecting and improving environment, or environmental policy. It aims at the rational use and renewal of natural resources, the preservation and development of the bio- and sociosphere, which ensures normal life and environmental safety of a person.

Military policy is a part of the general policy of the state, which serves to ensure the national security of the country from external and internal threats, the protection and realization of national interests, territorial integrity and sovereignty, etc. Here, the main goal of state policy is the development and implementation of measures to strengthen the country's defense capability, primarily by maintaining at the proper level, and, if necessary, building up the armed forces.

The rights and freedoms of man and citizen are highest value which is entrusted to the state, and the state, through its functions, is obliged to ensure the protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens, the safe existence of society. The importance of this function of the state is evidenced by the fact that it is enshrined in Art. 2 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. In this area, the key role belongs to the system of law enforcement agencies: the police, the prosecutor's office, and the judiciary.

The law enforcement system is a set of state-legal means, methods and guarantees that ensure the protection of a person from illegal actions by other citizens or representatives of the state. Its task includes the implementation of measures to prevent the violation of social ties and relations, the protection of public order, the rights and legitimate interests of citizens, their teams and organizations, the reproduction and strengthening of the entire complex of institutions and relations of civil society. In this context, the effectiveness of state policy in the law enforcement sphere is determined by the degree of minimization of coercion and activation of means directly related to the promotion of positive legal behavior of citizens, their compliance with existing laws and regulations.

Of course, the internal policy of the state is by no means limited to these areas, but they can be called key ones, on the effective solution of which the state, well-being and prospects of society and the state depend. In general, it can be said that the internal policy of the state plays a decisive role in the creation and protection of social and economic infrastructure, the protection of all institutions of civil society and the provision of appropriate conditions for their viability and effective functioning.

Each of us knows a lot about politics. We know everything about the policy of the state, our company, and even pursue our own political line in family relations. What is politics? Let's try to understand this issue.

What does "politics" mean

The word politics came to us from ancient Greek. It comes from the word politike, which translates as public or state affairs. Many famous philosophers gave their definition of politics. For example, Plato believed that politics is the art of managing all other arts (judicial, oratory, military, etc.) in order to improve the lives of citizens. Machiavelli believed that politics can be called knowledge about the correct and wise government of the state.

What is politics: a modern definition

Politics is the general direction for decision-making and actions that facilitate the achievement of the set goal. The policy sets out the directions to follow in order to achieve the goal. In addition, she explains why it is necessary to follow these directions. Although politics directs actions towards the fulfillment of a set task or the achievement of a certain goal, however, at the same time, it leaves freedom of action.

What is the essence of politics

The concept of "politics" has long been included in our speech and everyday life. But did it become clearer from this? Let's try to explain what the essence of the policy is:

1. Policy is created government agencies and social movements, so it is inextricably linked with them.
2. Politics is a struggle for power, the use of it and its retention.
3. Politics can be seen as a procedure for making decisions in a society in which there is no complete unity. These decisions can satisfy the interests of a large group of people or vice versa, a very narrow circle of people.
4. Politics can be compared to an art form. After all, a skilled politician always achieves the goal with minimal losses, is able to try on the warring parties, take into account both the long-term and short-term interests of his party, people and state. And all this is not possible if the politician does not have deep knowledge, talent, intuition.

What does politics do

Politics plays a significant role in the development of any society. Let's take a closer look at what politics in society does:

1. Ensures the stability and integrity of society.
2. Ensures the effectiveness and mobilization of all types of social activities.
3. Regulates and manages the public interest.
4. Provides socialist socialization by drawing the individual and entire groups of the population into social life.
5. It creates the rights and freedoms of the individual, and is also the guarantor of their observance.

What about politics

Politics includes everything that is in any way connected with social movements, political parties and state structures. This can be explained by the fact that it is all of the above that creates a policy, and, therefore, is inextricably linked with it. Any problem, if it comes to the attention of the state, social movement or party immediately becomes a political issue.

What is included in the policy

Politics is a rich and varied world that includes:

1. Various sciences, as politics is inextricably linked with them.
2. Goals, interests and attitudes of various political institutions and social groups.
3. Mechanisms for coordinating and regulating interests that prevent a split in society.
4. Direct interaction of objects and subjects of policy.

The elements of politics can also include political relations, political power, political organization and culture, political consciousness, as well as subjects of politics.

What is an accounting policy

Accounting policy is the documentation that regulates the maintenance of tax and accounting at an enterprise or in an organization, as well as a whole set of rules for reflecting expenses and incomes on the organization’s accounts, putting property on the balance sheet and compiling reporting documentation.

In other words, an accounting policy can be viewed as a whole set of documents that facilitate accounting and reduce taxation.

Well designed accounting policy allows you to legally reduce the taxation of an enterprise or organization.

The accounting policy is developed by the chief accountant, and approved by the head of the organization, who issues an order on its implementation.

The entire history of mankind can be divided into pre-political and political periods. For several tens of thousands of years, society in its organization did without politics. K. Marx associated the pre-political organization of society with the absence of classes. In a pre-class society there was no private property, people lived in small ethnic formations connected by consanguineous ties - family, clan, tribal. In the twentieth century, the studies of such scientists as K. Levi-Strauss, L. Levy-Bruhl expanded their understanding of the pre-political period of history. In this society, people lived according to rigid traditions, which formed the basis of the organization. Their organization was based on cultural technologies, in which life situations. Since these situations were related to nature and few communities, they were quite simple. In this society, there were no people in our usual sense. People were carriers of functions, had names that were given to them when they "come of age" - inclusion in the community of "adults" as a result of the rite of passage. These people did not think independently, they did not have individual will and the right to choose. They were literally "cogs" of the social machine - an organization that programmed them with social rituals, taboos, supplied them with mythological dogmas, formed a pre-scientific, pre-logical consciousness in which everything was explained and everything was dictated to each person - the performer social role. Such a social organization was characterized by indivisibility, fusion (syncretism) of social institutions. They were not yet needed in society and were contained in the bud. The transition to political organization represents a significant leap in the change of social form. The advent of politics contributed to the development of human culture. An appropriate structure is created in society, which makes a person more free, aware of himself and his being, and also more organized. So, politics is an activity in the sphere of relations between large social groups (classes, nations, states) regarding the establishment and functioning of political power in the interests of realizing their socially significant requests and needs. The understanding of politics as a sphere of interaction between various social groups and communities of people is called communication. Aristotle stood at the origins of it. According to him, politics is a civilized form of community that served the achievement of the "common good" and " happy life". At that time, politics meant the whole social life. A variety of scientific definitions of policy can be systematized and subdivided into several groups, each of which is internally differentiated.

Sociological. It characterizes politics through other social phenomena: economics, law, morality, culture, religion.

• -- economic. Politics is a superstructure over the economic basis, a concentrated expression of the economy.
• -- ethical. Politics is a superstructure over the economic basis, a concentrated expression of the economy.
• - stratification. Politics is the rivalry of certain community groups: classes or nations (Marxism) or interest groups (A. Bentley, D. Truman), providing in modern democratic state balance, balance of public interests.
• -- legal. Politics is a specialized activity to protect the fundamental rights inherent in every person from birth: to life, freedom, security, property (theories of the "Social Contract" of Spinoza, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant).

Substantial. Reveals the fundamental principle, the "fabric" of which politics consists.

• - domineering. Politics is actions aimed at power, its acquisition, distribution, retention and use (M. Weber).
• -- institutional. Politics is the activity of the state, as well as parties and other associations and associations.
• - Anthropological. Politics is a form of communication between people, a way of collective human existence (Aristotle).
• - conflict-consensus. Politics is the activity of peaceful and violent conflict resolution (M. Duverger, S.F. Huntington).
• - "Friends-enemies" relationship. Politics is any social activity in which people interact as friends and enemies.

Procedural - reveals the dynamic, procedural nature of politics.

• - activity. Politics is the process of preparation, adoption and practical implementation of decisions binding on the whole society.
• - teleological. Politics is an activity for the effective achievement of collective goals.
• -- systemic. Politics is a relatively independent system, a complex social organism, an integrity that is delimited from the environment (other areas of society) and is in continuous interaction with it.

Naturalistic interprets politics as a combination of natural factors.

• -- geographic. Interprets politics as a combination of natural factors.
• -- biological. Politics is a tool for managing human animal instincts.
• -- psychological. Politics is the activity of people, determined by their desire for power and wealth.

Theological - politics as a manifestation of the divine will.

The above interpretations of politics do not exhaust the whole variety of its definitions, although they reflect the most important of them. The abundance of scientific characteristics is explained, first of all, by the complexity of politics, the richness of its content, the variety of properties and social functions.

Summarizing various definitions, it is possible to define politics as the activity of social groups and individuals in the articulation (awareness and representation) of their conflicting collective interests, the development of decisions binding on the whole society, carried out with the help of state power.

Politics is a purposeful activity of the state in solving social problems, setting and implementing generally significant goals for the development of society or its individual areas. At the same time, politics is also a means that allows the state to achieve certain goals in a particular area.
There are many classifications of politics. According to the criterion of orientation, they distinguish, as you know, internal

early and foreign policy. Domestic policy is connected with the solution of problems within the country, and foreign policy - in the international arena. Depending on which sphere of public life is affected, the following areas of domestic policy are distinguished: economic, social, state-legal, cultural. Sometimes cultural policy is considered as a component of social policy. Each of the directions of domestic policy is divided, in turn, according to sectoral characteristics. So, economic policy includes industrial, agricultural, tax, monetary and other policies.
Social policy is represented by health policy, demographic, national, youth policy, etc. The components of state policy are legislative, administrative, judicial, personnel, and legal policies. Cultural policy is a policy in the field of education, cinema, theater, etc. According to the completeness of coverage and impact on society, such types of policy as scientific, technical, environmental, and informational are distinguished. They permeate all spheres of public life and therefore do not belong to any of them. Policy directions have their own structure and objects of influence. For example, agricultural policy includes the following elements: agricultural policy, agro-industrial policy, foreign agricultural policy. The objects of agrarian policy are agro-industrial associations, farms, etc.
Foreign policy also has directions: defense, foreign (between individuals and legal entities of different states), foreign economic, etc.
Structural detailing of state policy makes it possible to more purposefully implement programs and projects in a particular area.
According to the criterion of long-term, strategic and tactical (current) policy are distinguished. The strategic policy for the time interval is long-term (10-15 years), medium-term (3-5 years) and short-term (1.5-2 years). Tactical policy is an activity aimed at the implementation of the planned strategic goals.
In the modern world, an external factor - international politics - has a great influence on domestic politics.
The process of development of public policy includes four main stages, representing a kind of political cycle: the definition of social problems and policy goals; development (formation) of policy; implement-
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the development of public policy; evaluation of the results of public policy.
At the first stage, socially significant problems and their causes are identified. For example, the deterioration of the demographic situation in Russia is associated with two factors: low birth rate and high mortality, which, in turn, depend on other factors (remember the facts you know). To develop a policy in this area, it is necessary to understand the main reasons for this situation: the inefficiency of domestic health care, poverty, unsatisfactory ecology, the growth of alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.
Second phase. Based on the analysis, goals (tasks) are determined. Thus, in the given example of the demographic situation, policy objectives are aimed at eliminating these causes. A hierarchy of goals is built in each of the areas of public life. State institutions play a certain role in this process. For example, the general strategy of foreign and domestic policy is determined by the President of the Russian Federation. He also sets common goals for the federal executive authorities, which is reflected in his annual Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the situation in the country and the main directions of internal and foreign policy states. The Government of the Russian Federation determines general specific goals, as well as the strategy of state policy in certain areas. The main document of the Government is the medium-term program of socio-economic development Russian Federation. The Parliament also takes part in the formation of policy by discussing topical issues, in the course of adopting the budget, legislative acts related to certain areas of state policy. The complexity of social problems leads to the fact that when developing policy, public authorities ( political leaders) resort to the help of not only professional officials (experts, analysts, speech writers, etc.), but also special research organizations - "think tanks" aimed at developing new ideas, approaches or programs.
Third stage. With the adoption of government programs, the policy development phase ends and the implementation phase begins. Here come to the fore executive bodies authorities, primarily ministries, services and agencies. Their work is coordinated by the Government of the Russian Federation and the President of the Russian Federation. Federal ministries adopt by-laws (directives, orders, orders, etc.). federal services control and supervise their implementation. They are also responsible for issuing permits.
niya (licenses) for the implementation of certain types of activities to legal entities and citizens, register acts, documents. Federal agencies exercise the powers of owners in relation to state property, provide services to other federal bodies (for example, in the development of standards), legal entities, citizens. The provision of quality services to the population is one of the urgent problems of public administration in all countries, including Russia. The main thing in the provision of services is continuous service and speed of response to the needs of the population. Failures in the work of transport, criminal police, housing and communal services, etc. are unacceptable. Currently, many states are guided in their work by the list of basic services adopted in the EU countries. It provides, for example, for citizens payments from the fund social insurance(student scholarships, family benefits, etc.), actions in response to applications for assistance (in particular, theft, carjacking), issuance of documents (passports, driver's licenses), registration of civil status. Public services for businesses include the registration of new companies, etc.
In general, the policy implementation stage is a system of activities focused on the final result, which is reflected in the work plans of the ministries. In them, a program of actions is thought out in advance for the implementation of the tasks set: the goals of the activity, the main performers, performance standards (terms of reference), resource allocation, standards and criteria for performance results. When implementing plans, various methods are used, primarily legal ones. Socio-psychological methods (persuasion, agreements) and administrative methods (control, restrictions, quotas) are also widely used. Economic (taxes, tariffs, subsidies) and organizational methods have acquired great importance. For example, to identify suppliers of goods or performers of work and services, open tenders are held to help improve government orders.
At the fourth stage, the results and consequences of the state policy are analyzed. The final assessment of the current policy (program), the work of state bodies is given. Thus, the activities of the UK ministries are evaluated on the basis of a single methodology in the following areas: efficiency, effectiveness and economy. In the United States, it is recommended to evaluate the work of the city administration in terms of such indicators as the achievement of planned goals, unplanned effects, the volume of services, the time it takes to complete the work, and the degree of satisfaction of the population.

It should be noted that various interest groups, including lobbying groups, whose activities will be disclosed in the following paragraphs, have a great influence on public policy.

The emergence of such a phenomenon as “politics” is due to the fact that society is asymmetric in its structure. The existence of various classes and social groups (professional, demographic, ethnic, etc.) with divergent or even directly opposite interests, aspirations, ideologies inevitably leads to their clash and struggle with each other.

The great ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle formulated the proposition that "... man by nature is a political being ...", which means that he is involved in one way or another in political life. The only question is how consciously a person becomes the subject and object of politics, deliberately makes his political choice in certain situations.

Without politics, our life would turn into what the famous English thinker T.Hobbes called "the war of all against all", when the people are at war with the people, city against city, street against street, house against house and, finally, man against man. It is precisely this function of the self-preservation of society that politics performs.

« Politics"- one of the most common and polysemantic words both in Russian and in many other languages ​​of the world. V Everyday life politics is often called any purposeful activity, whether it is the activity of the head of state, party or firm, or even the attitude of a wife towards her husband, subordinated to a specific goal.

However, most people, using the term "politics", practically do not think about its true content. Ancient Greek politician Pericles claimed:

“Only a few can make politics, but everyone can judge it.”

At the same time, the insidiousness of habitual words lies in the fact that, having become well-known, they often lose their original meaning. great german philosopher Georg Hegel warned: if something becomes common knowledge, then we do not know exactly what in question". Regarding political terms, the Russian historian V. Klyuchevsky wrote that they have their own history, and we will inevitably fall into anachronism if, meeting them in historical monuments of a distant time, we understand them in the modern sense. This also applies to the understanding of the term "politics".

It is possible to comprehend the essence and content of the category "politics" at three levels.

1. At the ordinary level. In this case, the citizen creates the primary, background image of politics, which allows him to adapt to the politically organized community, to find ways of interacting with the government and the state that are compatible with his own goals. Ordinary consciousness draws a "natural" picture of politics on the basis of individual empirical experience and traditionally established ideas, customs, and stereotypes.
2. At the scientific and theoretical level. Here a form of abstract thinking is formed, with the help of which a person builds in his mind ideas about the external and internal relations of politics on the basis of generalization and systematization of not individual, but intergroup and universal experience. The specificity of this level lies in the rational-critical understanding of political reality and the creation of such a picture of the world of politics that would describe and explain this phenomenon as a whole.
3. At the level of technological reflection, which serves as a qualitative variety of scientific consciousness, which is formed to solve a specific political problem and represents science as a special "art", "craft", "mastery". This level significantly affects the methods of formation and development of this kind of knowledge, the ways of their organization and forms of implementation.

Today, despite the rapid development of scientific political science knowledge, the content of the category "politics" is still open, undergoing changes and additions as new theoretical models emerge. It demonstrates the futility of unambiguous definitions of the phenomenon of politics, the desire to catch its ever-elusive specifics within the boundaries of a once found logic. The term "politics" is almost always used in more than one sense.

The origin of the term "politics" is interpreted by different authors in different ways.

Some researchers argue that the name of the politician comes from the Greek "polis" and its derivatives "politeia" (constitution), "polites" (citizen) and "politicos" (statesman).

Others believe that this concept comes from "politike", which meant the science and art of managing public affairs. Still others believe that the very word politics comes from "politeia", which denoted the legislative design of the social and state structure. Still others are convinced that the concept of "politics" comes from the Greek words "poli" (many) and "tikos" (interests).

The word "politics" became widespread after the treatise of the ancient Greek thinker Aristotle on the state and the art of government, which was called "Politics", became known.

V Ancient Greece the word "politics" meant everything related to state activity. So, in particular, Plato and Aristotle considered government to be politics. Aristotle considered correct those forms of government (monarchy, aristocracy, polity), in which the goal of politics is the common good. Plato defined politics as the art of living together, that is, the art of coexistence. This approach is called communication.

Using a directive approach, a classic of political science, an Italian thinker Nicollo Machiavelli believed that there is nothing more than "the totality of the means that are necessary in order to come to power, stay in power and use it usefully."

A German sociologist M. Weber emphasized that politics “means the desire to participate in power or to influence the distribution of power, whether it be between states, whether it be within a state between the groups of people that it includes ... Whoever engages in politics strives for power.”

Based on the functional approach, T. Parsons wrote:

“Politics is a set of ways of organizing certain elements of the total system in accordance with one of its fundamental functions, namely: effective action to achieve common goals".

And D. Easton understood politics as an authoritative distribution of values ​​within society.

On the basis of the institutional approach, V. Lenin believed that politics is "the area of ​​relations between the classes of society, their relationship to the state as an instrument of the ruling class, a concentrated expression of the economy."

If we turn to the interpretation of the concept of "politics" in scientific dictionaries, we see that in the Popular Political Dictionary, published in Moscow in 1924, politics is seen as the art of governing the state and as a certain direction of actions of the state, parties, institutions.

S. Ozhegov in the Dictionary of the Russian Language defines politics as the activity of public authorities and public administration, reflecting the social system and economic structure of the country.

Soviet philosophical encyclopedic Dictionary considers politics as an activity related to relations between classes, nations and other social groups, the core of which is the problem of gaining, retaining and using state power.

The presented interpretations of politics do not exhaust the diversity of its definition, but together they allow us to reveal the essence of politics as a social phenomenon as follows: “Politics is a field of activity associated with relations between classes, nations, other social groups, with the goal of conquest, organization and use of state power management of social processes”.

Policy can classify for various reasons:

• By areas of public life: economic; social; national; scientific and technical; ecological; cultural; military, etc.
• By object of influence: internal and external.
• By subject of policy: party politics; policy of public associations and movements; public policy, etc.
• By activity priority(objectives): policy of neutrality; the policy of national reconciliation; open door policy; the politics of the "great leap"; policy of compromises, etc.

Thus, politics is: participation in the affairs of the state, determining the forms, tasks, content of its activities; activities in the sphere of relations between classes, nations, parties and states; a set of events or issues of state, public life; characterization of the course of action aimed at achieving certain goals in the relationship of people among themselves. In a broad sense, politics is identified with the entire social reality. In a narrow sense, politics refers to the relationship between large social groups of people regarding the realization of their political interests.

From a functional point of view, the role of politics in any society (from a small group to society as a whole) can be reduced to the following:

1. Expression of powerfully significant interests of all groups and strata of society. Politics gives people the opportunity to meet their needs and change social status.
2. Socialization of the individual, the formation of a person as an independent, socially active individual. Through politics, a person is able to acquire social qualities, it includes a person in the complex world of social relations, constructs an individual as an independent socially active being, a subject of politics.
3. Rationalization of emerging contradictions, ensuring a civilizational dialogue between citizens and the state. In the course of meeting the needs and interests of individuals, contradictions are exposed, conflicts arise. The role of politics is to smooth out contradictions.
4. Management and leadership of political and social processes. Political processes which take place in the interests of certain segments of the population or society as a whole, involve the use of means of coercion and social violence.
5. Integration of various social strata of the population, maintaining the integrity of the social system, stability and order.
6. Ensuring the continuity of the social development of society as a whole and of each person individually. In this case, the political course chosen by society should not only foresee the long-term consequences of the actions taken, but also be constantly tested by practical experience, common sense, and moral standards.
7. Ensuring the innovative nature of the social development of society and man, expanding the scope of relations between peoples, man and nature.
8. Organizational.
9. Control and distribution.

It is clear that in this case we are talking only about the most important functions of politics. By the degree of development of these functions, one can judge the degree of development of the society itself, its maturity and the development of political life.

In the structure of policy, content, form and process (relationships) are distinguished. The content of the policy is expressed in its goals, values, motives and mechanisms for making political decisions, in the problems that it solves. The form of politics is its organizational structure (state, parties, etc.), as well as norms, laws that give it stability, stability and allow regulating the political behavior of people. The political process reflects the complex, multi-subject and conflict nature of political activity, the manifestation and implementation of relations between various social groups, organizations and individuals. Based on this, considering politics as a social phenomenon, we can distinguish the following structural elements:

• political interest is an internal, conscious source of political behavior;
• political relations - the relationship of social groups among themselves and the institutions of power;
• political consciousness - the dependence of political life on the conscious attitude of people to their power-significant interests;
• political organization - a set of institutions of political power;
• political activity - social activity of subjects in the realization of their political statuses.

Politics has its subjects and objects.

• Subject- it is the carrier of any subject-practical activity, the source of activity directed at the object.
• An object- this is what opposes the subject in his subject-practical activity, in cognition. In other words, the subject acts, influences the object, seeks to use it in his own interests.

In relation to politics, we can say that the subject of politics is the one who leads an active political life, participates in the political process: a person, social group, public and religious associations, the state or its bodies, international organizations, etc.

The object of politics is what the efforts of the subject of politics are aimed at: power, interests and values, the population as an electorate, the state, an individual, etc.

Policy can be implemented at several levels:

• mega level - international and world politics;
• the macro level - the highest central political institutions, government bodies, public organizations and associations;
• meso-level - governing bodies of the regional, republican, regional, district scale;
• micro level - direct political interaction of people, small social groups.

Thus, politics has a comprehensive social character and is relevant to almost every member of society. Political science, as a science, studies politics in all its manifestations, and the study of political science contributes to the formation of a socially active personality.