Scientific section. Politology

The article explores the positions of Russian political parties on the ideological basis of nation building in Russia. The vulnerability of this measure is emphasized, taking into account domestic experience and modern realities. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of program documents of parties participating in parliamentary election campaigns. The multilayeredness of the corresponding interpretations is shown in the selection of the two main approaches.

The article is devoted to the actualization of the problems of national diasporas in Russia and the study of the features of the institutional design of this socio-political institution in modern Russia. On the example of the formation and functioning Of the representation Of the head of the Chechen Republic in the Saratov region, the authors show one of the trends of centralization and regulation of the national Diaspora in the modern regional political process, which is an integral part of the national policy.

The article deals with the correlation of tradition and innovation in the works of foreign scientists. There are two main directions in the approach to the analysis of this ratio and an attempt is made to identify on this basis the place and role of traditional and innovative factors in the formation and development of the political culture of society

In modern science, attempts to measure media literacy / media competence are made from time to time. However, those who try to do it usually employ different theoretical premises, interpret phenomenon under consideration in their own ways, and, as a result, use various criteria for evaluations. Based on the analysis of more than hundred most oft-quoted (both in foreign and Russian scholarship) definitions of media literacy, the author offers his own conception of the term and puts forward the way it can be measured.

The article considers the pages of life unknown to Russian readers of one of the leaders of American political science Charles Write Mills. In the center of analysis – the person of Mills and thesis how human temperament and human qualities could be able to influence on the scientific beliefs. The author argues that Mills imparted to the generation of the 1950–1960s something more and something less, a «politics of truth» that entailed mutiny and sabotage. Mills exhorted his readers to do as he did: to conduct themselves as if their biographies could be effective force in history

The article is devoted to the analysis of methodological problems of domestic political science. In particular, the analysis of contradictions faced by political scientist in choosing a method of conducting his scientific research, and which induce him to be guided in the use of this method by the «cloud» notion of itis carried out. The subject of criticism in the article is the situation with the use of the «structural-functional method».

The European neighbourhood policy is under difficult conditions of development. The transformation of the internal situation caused by the UK’s exit from the EU, the migrant crisis, the differentiation of the EU member States, as well as the complication of the situation in the international arena cause the EU’s response to the change of the doctrine of the «new neighborhood», especially in those countries that are most interested in contacts with Brussels (Georgia). A retrospective analysis of changes in the doctrine of «new neighborhood» in Georgia is considered.

The article considers the problem of correlation of the facts of accession and loss of the Crimea with the periods of Russian integration activity and state power. The Crimea historically is an important component of the Russian imperial space, and was often at the center of the processes that determined the degree of integration activity and state power of Russia.

The article dwells on the problems, hindering successful accomplishing the mission of Russian Federation’s foreign affairs activity information support. The author undertakes step by step analysis of doctrinal papers as far as information coverage of Russian Federation foreign policy is concerned and arrives at the conclusion that as of now solution of these problems lacks strategic goalsetting and wholesome concept. And without that all image shaping efforts will remain sporadic and fruitless.

Results of a survey of representatives of leading universities of Saratov region are analyzed in this article. Experts were asked about the current and potential possibilities of using resources of scholarly and educational organizations in terms of achievement of public diplomacy goals. Based on this survey, key directions of optimization of regional universities’ potential and their functioning as subjects of “soft power” for neighboring countries and beyond are systemized and substantiated.