The article examines the process of forming the state policy of promoting civil society development in Ukraine, as well as its current directions. It is argued that in most developed democracies, there is a state policy to promote civil society. This is due to the realization that the activities of civil society institutions contribute to the reduction of paternalistic expectations of citizens, to the provision of socio-political stability, as well as to the formation of a high level of political culture. The state of civil society in Ukraine and the legal framework for the implementation of the state policy of promoting the development of civil society are analyzed. Today, the legal framework of the state policy of promoting civil society development is constituted by the Constitution of Ukraine, laws of Ukraine, decrees of the President of Ukraine, resolutions and orders of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, etc. The priority directions of the strategy of the state policy of promoting the development of civil society in Ukraine for the next period are offered in accordance with the current conditions and current challenges. The results of individual sociological surveys have been analyzed in the context of various aspects of the implementation of the state policy of promoting civil society development in Ukraine, problems and challenges have been identified. The strategy of the state policy for promoting the development of civil society in Ukraine for the next period (from 2021) should include: formation of an effective model of interaction between the state and civil society in Ukraine at three levels — national, regional, local; developing tools for involving citizens at decision-making at all levels; development of civic education in Ukraine; providing state financial support to civil society institutions; development of e-government; ensuring the effective response of law enforcement agencies to violations of the law on interaction with civil society by state bodies; continuation of work on implementation of measures aimed at implementation of international agreements.

The article attempts to analyze the conceptual foundations of the study of civil society (theoretical and methodological foundations) comprehensively in order to generalize research material on this subject. Different approaches to the concept and phenomenon of civil society in the historical context of their formation are analyzed and systematized. Taking into account complex content and the form of a civil society as a subject of research, the author offers an approach to its analysis, providing three dimensions of the study: a theoretical; a historical; and a practical one. The emphasis is on the importance of the economic component in the emergence of the phenomenon of a civil society in the socio-political reality and the significance of changes in the economic realm to update goals and objectives, as well as the structure of a civil society. Contemporary investigation of civil society involves research of information technologies that affect the level of openness and mobility of any knowledge and information; globalization processes that shape the new economic landscape of the world and, therefore, become the subject of civil society due to inevitable social-economic conflicts and contradictions; migration processes that affect the value system of both migrants and settled population, which leads to the formation of completely new subjects and objects of influence of civil society; ecological problems, which do not have a pronounced nationality and directly affect humanity as a whole, which leads to the emergence of international environmental movements. A separate problem in considering the theory of civil society is the level of personal interactions in modern conditions. The emergence of planetary problems and, accordingly, the interests of people allow distinguishing three levels of social relations, which have their own characteristics and directly affect the approaches to the implementation of civil society. Such levels are local level of interrelations (within the framework of separate communities, professional or cultural communities); national level of interrelations (at the state level or interstate regional interrelations); supranational level of interrelations (environmental issues, war and peace issues, disarmament, etc.). Keywords: Civil society, capitalism, labor market, mass movements, economic inequality, justice, conflict of interests, institutionalization

This research examines the process of decentralization of power as a global trend of democratization. The concept of decentralization of power is revealed and the process of implementation of the reform of decentralization of power in some European countries is highlighted. The relationship between the course of decentralization reform and the index of democracy in countries has been studied. The aim of the research is to identify and analyze the essence, features and experience of decentralization as a global trend of democratization. The realization of the goal requires the solution of the next task - to analyze the experience of decentralization in the context of the development of democracy in the European Union. The solution of research problems became possible due to the use of a complex of general scientific and special research methods. This analytical essay is based on documentary sources. Аnalyzing the principles and results of decentralization of power in European countries in the study we see the growth of democracy. Decentralization causes a global shift in power, as the distance between citizens and government institutions is reduced.