Local communities and civic activism

Abstract

The author of the article focuses on the problem of the development of the various forms of political and social participation at the local level. Using the results of the mass sociological survey "The civic activism: new actors of the social and political action", the author examines the changing attitudes of Russians towards the local authorities as well as towards their opportunities to influence the activities of the local authorities. The author also considers the ways to overcome the alienation between the citizens and the local authorities and the practices of the grassroots self-realization in human environment. The author concludes that the common point of view stating that Russians are lacking any need for strong local self-government is not consistent with reality; citizens track everything that happens in their communities and are eager to improve their environment, however, they do not believe that they can influence the decisions taken by local authorities. To solve this problem, political will at higher levels is needed. Civic activity should be one of the key indicators of the performance of the local authorities, according to the author.