Problems of Russia’s Social Development in the Light of the Theory of Neopatrimonialism

The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors that hinder the effective solution of the problems of socio-economic development in Russia and contribute to the strengthening of socio-economic inequality in the country. The subject of the research is the mechanisms of implementation of modern social policy in Russia, including the system of national projects, as well as their impact on the deepening of socio-economic imbalances. The methodological basis of the research includes a neo-patrimonial approach, which makes it possible to identify the role of formal and informal practices in the activities of management structures. The methods of political-comparative, normative and discursive analysis are used in the work. The theoretical significance of the research lies in the identification of cause-and-effect relationships between the features of Russia’s socio-political system and the processes of socio-economic development. It is established that the neopatrimonial nature of the system contributes to the formation of patronage-client relations, the development of favoritism, cronyism and corruption. The practical significance is determined by analyzing the effectiveness of national projects and identifying systemic problems in their implementation. The research is based on an extensive source base, including regulatory legal acts, statistical data, and materials from expert organizations. The main conclusions of the study indicate that the current model of socio-political organization reproduces the features of patrimonial capitalism. At the same time, the preservation of internal socio-political stability creates prerequisites for the formation of a more democratic model of redistributive neopatrimonialism, capable of balancing the interests of various social groups. The prospects of the study are related to the further study of the mechanisms of transformation of the socio-political system of Russia and the development of recommendations for reducing socio-economic inequality.

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