Image of the regional authorities: theoretical basics and problems of formation

At present in the sphere of interaction between the authority and society at the federal and regional levels the significant attention is paid to the image issues of political leaders and state authorities. Different approaches to the definition of this notion and the estimation of the field of knowledge emerged around it, called imagology, exist in the Russian science. Problems of forming positive image of the regional authorities and the heads of territorial entities of the RF have the applied meaning. Generally PR-agencies of the relevant government bodies, as well as regional and local mass media deal with the “improvement” of their image. Significant means of the regional budgets are spent to achieve these goals, allocated on different items of their expenditure. As the investigation showed, the expenses of territorial entities of the RF on the image of government authorities during 2011 - 2013 were constantly growing. At the regional level the dynamics of such expenses differed in inequality and depended on several factors, among which internal political situation in the particular territorial entity and the current period of electoral cycle could be mentioned (for instance, the upcoming elections of the governor or legislative body). Extra-budgetary expenditures on forming the image of the region’s head and his administration bear insular nature, and conducting their comparative study is not possible. The author reveals that the information in press about regional authorities is widely requested, but in perception of population it differs in incompleteness and non-objectiveness. To enhance the authority’s confidence, it is important to increase the efficiency of its activities on behalf of the residents of the certain region. It is necessary that the work concerning image formation should be the form of a dialogue with population, the platform for cooperation with the institutions of the civil society.