UNPOPULAR REFORMS IN RUSSIA: THE CONCEPT AND POSSIBLE WAYS OF LEGITIMATION

Recently, the mass media and social networks have been discussing actively so-called unpopular reforms implemented without proper discussion and wide popular approval. The author identifies the signs and defines the concept of unpopular reform. He considers the possible ways to increase the legitimacy of such reforms, and concludes that it is necessary to use direct democracy institutions for this purpose. The author notes that the institutions of direct democracy existing in Russia are not fully suitable for legitimizing unpopular reforms. He justifies the necessity of introducing a radically new institution of direct democracy for legitimizing unpopular reforms, and lists its key features. Among them there should be the widespread use of digital technologies; the conciliatory nature of this institution; the unambiguous regulation by federal laws the issues that must pass through an approval procedure with the use of the new institution.