Теоретико-методологічні основи забезпечення легітимності публічної влади в сучасних умовах України ; Theoretical and methodological foundations for ensuring the legitimacy of public authority in modern conditions of Ukraine

Abstract

Розкрито особливості забезпечення легітимності публічної влади в сучасних умовах України. Зазначено, що поняття "легітимність" враховує юридичну (законність певної дії чи статусу) і етико-психологічну (визнання та підтримка тієї чи іншої дії, явища, інституції як правомірних і справедливих). Доведено, що складові легітимності як результат інтеракції влади й громади характеризується постійною напругою відносин і потребує серйозного теоретико-методологічного забезпечення. Обґрунтовано низку положень про специфіку й напрями підвищення рівня легітимності публічної влади. ; Problem setting. Under the conditions of the modern development of democracy, public authorities and their officials become the subject of special attention from the public, and the level of trust to them becomes an indicator of the society's readiness for serious reforms. Positive perception and approval of the activities of public institutions (their legitimacy) increase the effectiveness of social and managerial transformations. At the same time, today in Ukraine there is a rather low level of public confidence in various public authorities that is related not only to the actual achievements of their activities but also to a large extent due to a negative assessment based on the emotional perception of the results. Consequently, the lack of public support for actions and programs that are implemented by public authorities contributes to the emergence of prerequisites for social tension, destructive processes and crisis situations in society.Recent research and publications analysis. The disclosure of this problem has been made in the writings of such classics as M. Weber, J. Habermas, J. Coleman, T. Parsons, R. Patnam, F. Fukuyama and others. The main element of their legitimacy is social trust. In the domestic scientific literature, for the most part, the problem of political trust is highlighted, which was studied, in particular, in the works of such scholars as E. Bystrytskyi, S. Biloshytskyi, E. Holovakha, V. Ihnatov, A. Kovalova, O. Krutii, V. Maltsev, I. Martyniuk , S. Naumov, V. Nechyporenko, N. Panina, A. Khokhlova and others.Highlighting previously unsettled parts of the general problem. The works of the above-mentioned authors raise important aspects of achieving the legitimacy of public authority. However, in the science of public administration, these topics are considered sporadically, only some of its aspects are disclosed. The process of practical expansion of interaction between the authorities and the community forms the necessity for a more profound theoretical and methodological substantiation of the process of ensuring the legitimacy of public authority. The purpose of this article is to reveal the theoretical and methodological foundations for ensuring the legitimacy of public authority in the current conditions of Ukraine, that is, the determination of the principal provisions, the observance of which would promote the existence of high social trust in the implementation of social policy as an effective factor in the development of the society.Paper main body. In the article, the substantiation of the conclusions is based on the definition of the content of basic concepts. Thus, the notion of "legitimacy" (from the Latin legitimus - legality, lawfulness) includes both a legal component (the legality of a certain action or status) and ethical and psychological (recognition and support of one or another action, phenomenon, institution or official as lawful and fair). Legitimacy is, on the one hand, a characteristic of the power of managerial interaction, and on the other, the socio-civic side, it manifests itself as social trust. The dynamism of the indicated interaction leads to constant tensions of relations – reduction or increase of social trust and corresponding changes in legitimacy. Actually, the permanent process of restoration and strengthening legitimacy is defined as legitimization, and the possible state of its weakening is accordingly characterized by delegitimization. Therefore, the legitimacy of public authority means that its activity receives a high level of social trust – a positive perception and approval by the public. The article substantiates the position that a high level of legitimacy of public authority is ensured by a system combination of at least five areas of activity – conceptual-strategic, normative-legal, institutional-functional, performing and competency-based and informational-communicative. And because of the interactive nature of public governance, these areas should be supplemented and reproduced in the relevant perspectives of public perception and approval of the public policy. Conclusions and perspectives for further research. Thus, the problem of the legitimacy of public authority in modern conditions of Ukraine is very topical, since the further consolidation of relations between government and society, as well as the successful implementation of reforms, depends on its solution. Identifying and taking into account the theoretical and methodological foundations for ensuring the legitimacy of public authority will enable the establishment of effective dialogue with the public, and form a responsible attitude towards modernization. Prospects for further research on the proposed topic can be seen in the coverage of specific aspects of forming social trust in public authorities.