Institutional Interaction and Political Choice in a Transitional Society. What Role for the Social Sciences?

Yakovleva, L. I.; Yakovlev, Denys V.

doi:10.36059/978-966-397-190-2/146-163

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The creation of a hybrid of mass media and political system is a consequence of incomplete transition from the Soviet to the democratic political system [9,10]. Given the institutional dimension of democratization [11,12], the authors note that the institutional reconstruction of the mass media focused on the oligarchic model [13]. Within the framework of neoinstitutionalism, the influence of debates during election campaigns on Ukraine's foreign policy choice has been determined.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Debate on Foreign Policy Choice in the Media Landscape of Ukraine

Yakovlev¹,

Amirov²,

Stoliarova³

2021

Proceedings of the International Conference on Social Science, Psychology and Legal Regulation (SPL 2021)

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The paper is devoted to the study of political debates in the mass media on Ukraine's foreign policy choice. The political debate in the mass media about the foreign policy choice today concerns not only the existential dilemma of the Ukrainian establishment "East -West", which has its roots in history. Ukraine's foreign policy choice defines European and Euro-Atlantic integration at the level of consensus of the ruling class, it is enshrined in the legal field. Strategic choice is made. The focus of the political debate is the requirement of rational justification of the steps' sequence and the combination of political, legal and economic dimensions of integration, the realization of national interest. Without political debate in the mass media, it is impossible to solve the dilemmas of foreign policy choice: 1) regarding the connection between European and Euro-Atlantic integration (their pace, priority, level of interconnection and mutual conditionality); 2) on the national and local level of interaction, determining the role of public diplomacy and local self-government in the process of European integration; 3) on globalism and national interest. The main challenges that hinder the development of political debates in the mass media have been identified: the mediatization of politics, the oligarchic model of the Ukrainian mass media, the distortion of political discussions during media shows and the reduction of political competition to media scandals. The main difficulty is that the subject of rational political debate in the mass media during all the years of independence has not been to determine the essence of national interest, and hencethe directions of its implementation and protection in the process of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Debate on Foreign Policy Choice in the Media Landscape of Ukraine

Yakovlev¹,

Amirov²,

Stoliarova³

2021

Proceedings of the International Conference on Social Science, Psychology and Legal Regulation (SPL 2021)

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“…allows to discuss the possibilities of rational collective action as a basis for the legitimacy of public power. Institutional interaction is important for the legitimacy of public power, capable of reducing transaction costs, overcoming the opportunism of certain individuals and well-organized groups, and defining and implementing the public good (Yakovleva & Yakovlev, 2020).…”

Section: Legitimacy In the Focus Of Economic Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Legitimacy on the Frontline. Public Policy in Ukraine Between Public Good and Private Interests

Yakovleva

Dubinskiy²,

Kotenko³

2022

BJES

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The purpose of the article is to determine the legitimacy of public authorities under martial law in Ukraine. The oscillation of public policy in Ukraine between the private interests of representatives of oligarchic groups and the public good is noted. The need to direct public policy toward the realization of the public good was noted. Methodology. The study is based on the provisions of the theory of public choice concerning the two levels of interaction in the process of political exchange – constitutional and institutional. The dependence of the legitimacy of public power on constitutional conditions (which are a reflection of the social contract) and institutional interaction, designed to reduce the transaction costs of society, is defined. Rational choice institutionalism allows us to look at the legitimacy of public power as a result of the effectiveness of institutions for realizing the public good, reducing transaction costs and overcoming opportunistic behavior. Results. The emphasis is placed on the need to choose between democracy and dictatorship and to overcome oligarchy as a regime of political corruption. The limitation of electoral legitimacy, which in conditions of oligarchy entails a change in the personal composition of power, rather than its choice in favor of democracy, is noted. The innovative term "Institutes of Legitimacy" is proposed. It is defined that the institutions of legitimacy include the media, political parties and NGOs, which in a democracy provide and further support the legitimacy of public authority. Institutions of legitimacy evaluate the actions of public authorities and form public opinion. It is substantiated that for the post-Soviet ruling class, given the rutting effect, there remains a danger of following private interests rather than the public good. This is an oligarchic system of relations, identified as a system of political corruption. This applies in full measure to the Institutes of Legitimacy, which are now partially dependent on the oligarchs. Under martial law, public policy in Ukraine is aimed at protecting the country from large-scale armed aggression and attracting maximum international military and financial support. These are the main markers of legitimacy. The results of sociological research testify to the high level of legitimacy of the authorities in Ukraine: a growth of trust in individual political institutions and in the course of the state as a whole is being recorded. According to Sociological Group Rating in May 2022 the level of support for the actions of the Ukrainian government was 79%, and 54% of citizens recognized the actions of the state as quite effective. Practical implications. The legitimacy of the Ukrainian government depends on its effectiveness in two areas: winning the war and overcoming the oligarchy. It should take advantage of unprecedented international support for this. This will significantly reduce transaction costs and increase the efficiency of both individual institutions and institutional interaction, opening the way for Ukraine's European integration. Value/originality. This study of public policy in Ukraine as a balancing act between private and public interests allows for a better understanding of the economic factors of legitimacy formation under martial law and the impact of international support on the provision of legitimacy.

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“…The middle class has always made a democratic political choice. For Ukraine, it is a choice in favor of a proportional electoral system, a parliamentary-presidential model, and democracy as the rule of the middle class (Yakovleva & Yakovlev, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Voice of the Middle Class and Economic Democracy in Ukraine

Yakovlev

Borovyk²,

Дьяченко³

2022

BJES

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The purpose of the article is to determine the role of the middle class in political democracy and economic democracy in Ukraine. The role of the Ukrainian middle class in the revolutionary events of 2004 and 2013-2014 – the Ukrainian Maidans, the influence of the middle class on the results of the parliamentary elections in Ukraine and its presentation in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine are noted. The pendulum-like oscillation of self-identification of the middle class between "service to the oligarchs" and "resistance to democracy," the basis of civil society, is noted. The emphasis is placed on the fact that democracy is the rule of the middle class, and the principle of equal freedom is at the core of economic democracy. The compromise between capitalism and democracy is the need to distribute the public good under the supervision of political democracy in the interests of the middle class. Methodology. The theory of economic democracy was used to study the essence and characteristics of the middle class in Ukraine. By means of sociological methods of empirical research middle class identification by indicators of income, education, labor (employment), consumer behavior is given. Differences of "European" middle class from Ukrainian middle class are marked. In connection with the fact that the level of income of the Ukrainian middle class does not correspond to the indicators of EU countries, the necessity of application of subjective indicators to determine self-identification of middle class representatives in Ukraine is substantiated. The definition of the middle class from the opposite, i.e., what the middle class is not (not the oligarchs, not the authorities, not the working class, etc.) is also applied. Results. The trajectories of the middle class in Ukraine have been defined – from active participation in the Ukrainian revolutions to the role of a servant of the oligarchic regime. The middle class is well positioned to establish a regime of political democracy and to oppose the oligarchic-lumpen alliance. What hinders this is the insufficient activity of the middle class during election campaigns and especially after them. The oligarchs' established monopoly in the economy and media space allows for effective election campaigns in the mass media and the financing of political parties. This nullifies attempts of the middle class to establish political democracy in Ukraine. The growing role of the new middle class – intellectuals and representatives of the creative industries – has been noted. The self-identification factors of the middle class include a sense of justice, responsibility for the future and the practice of democratic values. According to sociological research, representatives of the Ukrainian middle class strive for democratic changes, overcoming corruption, deconstruction of the oligarchic regime, and implementation of market reforms. They have higher education, are interested in art, go to restaurants, and can sometimes afford vacations abroad. The political parties that declared support for the middle class and defined it as a target group in the elections included the "Team of Winter Generation," "Veche," "Self Reliance", and "Voice". The first two were perceived as oligarchic projects, while the last two parties made it to parliament, respectively, in the eighth and ninth convocations. Separately, the 2019 elections, in which the voice of the middle class became truly powerful, are examined separately. The "old faces," representatives of the post-Soviet oligarchy, and bureaucrats lost in the majoritarian districts. The middle class refused to support those politicians and parties that had become "servants of the oligarchs" in parliament, taking an important step in building not only a political democracy, but also an economic democracy. Practical implications. The results of the study can be used in the process of European integration of Ukraine, the implementation of reforms to develop political democracy as the rule of the middle class and economic democracy as a democratic system of redistribution of public resources. Value/originality. This study of the middle class and economic democracy allows us to understand the economic factors that influence politics, the role of the middle class and its characteristics in the process of establishing political democracy and economic democracy in Ukraine.

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Institutional Interaction and Political Choice in a Transitional Society. What Role for the Social Sciences?

Cited by 8 publications

References 4 publications

Debate on Foreign Policy Choice in the Media Landscape of Ukraine

Debate on Foreign Policy Choice in the Media Landscape of Ukraine

Legitimacy on the Frontline. Public Policy in Ukraine Between Public Good and Private Interests

The Voice of the Middle Class and Economic Democracy in Ukraine

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