Implementation Features of Social Rating Systems in 2024 in the Political Sphere

Introduction. This article discusses issues related to the potential creation and implementation of social rating systems in the political sphere. Attention is paid to new phenomena in the development of social rating and the emergence of new services and platforms for evaluating citizens. The article considers domestic and foreign approaches to the analysis of the phenomenon of social rating and provides specific characteristics that are observed in the process of forming evaluation systems. Methods and materials. The article presents the results of an expert survey on a semi-formalized questionnaire. The study was conducted in April – June 2024. The respondents were 32 specialists (civil servants, deputies, and political technologists; specialists in the field of digital technologies; university administration staff; and teachers). Analysis. Assessment by experts of the definition, purpose of creation, and prospects for the implementation of a social rating. More than half of the experts note that at the moment there are no full-fledged social ratings in politics; only a part of the experts notes that they see certain elements of the manifestation of this system in politics. At the same time, many experts note the opportunities and threats of using social systems in the political sphere, which can be successfully used and integrated into the political system. Results. The conducted research suggests that the potential creation and implementation of a social rating can significantly transform many traditional areas of activity in politics. In addition, according to experts, social rating technologies will lead to full control of citizens and civil institutions and standardize socially approved behavior. At the same time, the potential creation and implementation of a social rating may simplify communication between citizens and the state and make it more transparent. On the other hand, the risks of control, the subjectivity of criteria, the loss of cultural characteristics, and the technical difficulties of tracking ratings make one skeptical of social rating technologies. Authors’ contribution. A.V. Sokolov developed the theoretical and methodological basis and methodological design of the study, identified the basic characteristics of the phenomenon of social rating, analyzed the cases of using social rating in Russia, formed a register of experts and organized their interviews, summarized the results of the work, and formulated conclusions. Sung-Hoon Jeh analyzed the cases of using social rating in foreign countries, formulated the dominant trends in the creation and implementation of social rating, analyzed and translated foreign sources, and participated in the interpretation of the collected empirical data. P.A. Babajanyan participated in the refinement of the general methodology and design of the study, conducted interviews and focus groups on the topic of social rating, and described the results. The authors jointly prepared the content and results of the study. Funding. The research was funded by the Russian Science Foundation, research project No. 24-28-00728, https://rscf.ru/en/project/24-28-00728.