The Specificity of Russian Institutions and State Paternalism (Part 1. The State in the Narrow and Broad senses)

The current stage of scientific and technological development makes the factor of compliance with new tasks of the institutional structure of the humanitarian sector of the economy especially significant as the most important in the formation of human capital, meeting not only technological but also social needs of society. Therefore, the role of institutions of state paternalism, designed to support science, education, culture, art, and health care, is increasing. These institutions, as associated with the most advanced spheres of society, on the one hand, are especially sensitive to all newly emerging needs. But on the other hand, they are an integral part of the general institutional structure of the state, individual elements of which may lag in their development and, accordingly, slow down the development of institutions of paternalistic support of the humanitarian sector. Moreover, all processes of institutional changes in Russia are conditioned not only by the technological breakthrough of recent decades, which, as in the cases of previous technological revolutions, leads to a violation of the techno-humanitarian balance of the development of society, undermining stability. The ongoing process of post-socialist transformation also has a significant impact on the specifics of institutional changes, since the length of existence within the framework of the real socialist system has left its mark on the characteristics of social development in such countries. In addition, the transition to the new system itself was traumatic for many citizens. Therefore, the analysis of the evolution of the institutional structure of state paternalism is preceded by a consideration of the technological and social problems facing Russian society at the present stage. No less important is the definition of how to interpret the state in the modern world - in the narrow sense as a system of state authorities standing above society, or in the broad sense as a complex system of organically interconnected components - power, economy and civil society.