Formation Political and Legal Opportunities Public Contestation in Contemporary Russia: a Comparative Analysis of the Federal and Regional Levels

The research problem is the transformation of the political and legal opportunities of public contestation in contemporary Russia, the determination of the factors influencing it. To solve the problem, modern types of public contest are described, the subjects of the formation of their political and legal opportunities and effective types of public contest are identified that provoke a response from the authorities, a comparative analysis of the genesis of political and legal possibilities of public contest at the federal and regional levels is carried out. The methodological principles of research are based on the paradigm of “rational choice” and a neoinstitutional approach. The paper uses the method of political and legal analysis, as well as elements of event analysis. Effective forms of public contest in the civil sphere in 2012-2018. mass public events began, and since 2018 also public discussions in the media and the Internet. During this period, we record the largest changes in political and legal opportunities in this area and toughening the punishment for their violation. In the political sphere, we fix the pendulum dynamics: a reduction in opportunities in 2000-2011. and their expansion in 2012-2019. A significant factor in the restriction by the state authorities of the political and legal possibilities of public challenging is the potential financial, organizational and informational support of the challenging practices of foreign organizations.