Elites - the Choice for Modernization

P. 191–225.

Григорьев Л. М.

Nature abhors a "vacuum" - the new power elite arrives at the time of major social and political transformations and endeavours to  shore up its position within the country and obtain support from outside. New power groups, which are active at times of revolution and who replace, push aside or even depose the old elites and impose their own control over the state machine and position themselves as new power elite.There are themselves not immune to social transformation, especially in the first decades of coming to their new commanding role. Unless its claims are given legitimacy it is unable to implement its positive programme, which it immediately claims as the national programme. Every country "acquires" a new functioning elite - political, financial and intellectual - from revolution or a change of regime. The old elite may lose control and depart or upon luck may merge into a new combination of social strata of particular country. We also believe that the composition and the structure of elites is the country-specific and reflect one’s country history.

Ключевые слова: модернизация, социальная трансформация, modernization, правящая элита, экономическая трансформация, social transformation, ruling elite, economic transformation

В книге

Russia: the Challenges of Transformation

NY: NYU-Press, 2011.