Comparative analysis of democratization processes in Russia and France

Democracy in the modern world is an integral part of socio-legal states, its level is correlated with the political activity of citizens, the effectiveness of public administration and the adoption of successful political decisions. "Democracy" is an abstract concept that includes a large number of indicators by which it is determined: the functioning of the branches of government, the political participation of citizens, the electoral system, the form of government, etc. Hand in hand with "democracy" is the concept of "democratization", i.e. the process of making indicators democratic in nature. Touching all spheres of society, democratization demonstrates the complexity and inconsistency of the full transition to democracy. Based on this statement, the author of the article cites the democratic processes in Russia and France as an example and carries out a comparative analysis by identifying the stages (points) of democratic progress in each of the above countries and three main variables: a) compliance with the principle of "checks and balances"; b) the types of groups that influence power; c) the degree of activity of civil society, dependent on the mentality. Using the research, the author describes the nature of the form of government of France and Russia, emphasizes the contradictions in relation to the principle of “checks and balances” and draws the main differences and similarities between the two countries with a vivid political history.