Forms of state regime: problems of differentiation

• Natal’ya A. Plahotina

  Natal’ya A. Plahotina. Lugansk Vladimir Dahl State University. Lugansk. Russia

Abstract. The article is devoted to the problems of differentiation of various forms of state regime. Scientific and public views on the definition and features of a democratic state regime are studied. The essential differences between democratic and liberal regimes are revealed, their antagonism in the implementation of individual areas of state power is shown. The expediency of differentiating the forms of state regime based on a dualistic approach with the allocation of two classification features characterizing individual aspects of the state regime – the source of state power and the limits of the implementation of state power is substantiated. It is proposed to subdivide the forms of state regime
depending on the source of state power into democratic and anti-democratic. Depending on the limits of the implementation of state power, it is proposed to differentiate liberal, authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. A system of key features of democratic and anti-democratic regimes is formed. A comprehensive description of the essential criteria of liberal, authoritarian and totalitarian regimes is presented. A systemic analysis of German fascism and Soviet communism as the most striking historical examples of a totalitarian regime is carried out. The article defends the idea that it is inadmissible to match these forms of state regime. The lack of a systematic and reasoned basis based on a clear list of key essential differences between Soviet communism and German fascism is noted as an important scientific problem. To solve this problem, basing on historical information derived from surviving documents and eyewitness accounts, the following key features of German fascism are identified: nationalism; traditionalism; extremism in the implementation of state power; statism; corporatism; populism; militarism. In the characterization of the communist regime, features are identified, many of which are antipodes of the main features of fascism, namely: internationalism; collectivization; industrialization; universal education; state provision of health care for every citizen: the state ensures accessibility (free of charge) of medical care for every citizen, taking on the responsibility of financing medical institutions; state support for the norms of public morality; atheism as an element of official ideology; state provision of the implementation of the right to work in combination with the duty to work; state provision of a decent standard of living for the individual.
Keywords: state regime, democratic regime, anti-democratic regime, liberal regime, authoritarian regime, totalitarian regime, fascism, communism.