Civil participation in Russian regions: comparative analysis

The most important prerequisite for the balanced and sustainable development of Russian regions is the fullest use of their internal potential which is largely determined by the influence of the human factor. When studying the subjective factors of society’s development, the phenomenon of “social health” is becoming the object of attention in the scientific discourse. The analysis of foreign and Russian literature showed that “adaptation” and “involvement” can be identified as the generalized criteria of social health. This study uses an approach in which the individual’s involvement in society is considered through the category of “civil participation”. Based on the content analysis of the regulatory framework, the reporting documentation of the regional authorities responsible for the civil society, the web sites of public chambers in the regions and the Presidential Grants Foundation the author reveals regional specificity of civil participation development in the three North-Western Federal districts, the Vologda and Pskov oblasts, and the Republic of Karelia. Regional differences in the population’s estimates of their participation in public life are analyzed on the basis of the data of the sociological survey “Development of a methodological approach to assessing the social health of a transforming society”, conducted inthe spring of 2019 (N=1600). It is revealed that in the studied regions there is a favorable picture for the implementation of regional policy in the field of civil participation (implementation of plans by 100% or more). At the same time, in comparison with the previous period, there were no significant positive changes in the public sector. The conclusion is made about the uneven territorial level and the capacity of civil participation and therefore there is a need to identify and disseminate best practices in the regions, as well as to promote interregional cooperation to exchange experiences in the implementation of practical measures aimed at increasing citizens’ participation when solving socially significant problems.