THEORETICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE MEANING OF A POLITICAL REGIME: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DEMOCRATIC AND AUTHORITARIAN MODELS

Abstract

The article explores the essence of the political regime as one of the key fields of categorical sciences, reflecting the nature of the relationship between power, society, and the individual. The content of the concept of “political regime” is revealed as a set of methods, means and forms of implementing state power, as well as a system of interaction between political institutions, legal norms and social practices. The author of the article explores various definitions of the concept of “political regime” the significance of the political regime as a criterion of the level of development of democracy in a state, and the conceptual understanding of the political regime as a dynamic process based on the relationship between the reproduction and transformation of the political order. The article characterizes the content and interrelationship of the leading definitions of the categorical apparatus of the study of the political regime in the process of societal transformation. The article also presents generally defined features, approaches and criteria for analyzing the concept of “political regime” in modern world political and legal science. The classification of types and structural elements of political regime in modern societies is considered. Particular attention is paid to the classification of political regimes into democratic, authoritarian, and totalitarian, which differ in the level of political freedom, citizen participation in decision-making, and the role of parties and civil society institutions. The main features of each type of regime are analyzed, including the mechanisms of functioning of state power, the degree of political competition, the presence or absence of opposition, freedom of speech, and the electoral process. The article emphasizes the importance of studying political regimes for understanding modern processes of state formation, stability of the political system, and ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens. The results obtained can be used in further scientific developments in political science, public administration, and international relations.