The question which the paper investigates is the studying of the political elite of dynamic transitional political regimes. The ruling élite is one of the main actors of the political process. The leading position of the political élite in societies in transformation allows this actor to determine the amount of possible changes in the system. Analysis of the characteristics of the reproduction of the ruling elite in transforming conditions allows to diagnose the amount and direction of change in the social system.
Traditionally political élite is studied as a social group, in framework of such studies the personal structure of this group, the channels of incorporation and excorporation are explored, but it is noteworthy that the subject of political élite of transitive or transformational societies is somewhat wider than a mere social characteristic of the ruling class: in the first place, this problem concerns the peculiarities of the ruling regime, design of the power institutions, prospects of transformation and directions of transformation of political system.
However the method of approach to political élite as a social group makes it possible to characterize the structure, belonging to profession, psychological portrait of the élite, but it is rather problematic to analyze the structure, functions of the political élite, construct a matrix for the comparison of various élite groups, and formulate conceptual and theoretical generalizations. As a result, with the accumulation of empirical material the cognitive value decreases, and the subject faces the so called crisis of growth.
Remaining in the framework of the former approaches it is impossible to explain reasons of why the élite “swallows” reforms, why the phenomenon of revanchism arises from time to time, the corruption ties are reproduced despite a radical change of the personalities, the quality of the political élite is not changed even in the conditions of transformation or reforms of the state system.
Application of the systems analysis to studying the political élite enabled to analyze the structure and functions of the élite, create a model of élitogenesis. Studying the political élite as a system but not merely a social group allowed to substantially broaden the scope for analyzing it.
The systems approach was applied in the undertaken research of the Russia’s regional power élite (1991 – 2010). The élite was studied as a complex system oriented at its inherent environment not only in an adaptive way, but first and foremost in structure. The systems approach enabled to work out a more flexible and effective theoretical basis for studying political élites. Analyzing the élites from the viewpoint of the systems theory made it possible to consider the object under study as a complex system existing in the conditions of transformation thereby determining the conceptual framework of the study.
