Abstract
In our country, the problem of the relationship between the people and power has become especially timely, if not urgent, in the last few years. It has been the subject of many articles, essays, and sociological surveys. This is a huge and complex topic, one that requires assiduous study and analysis of the various population strata, regions, and periods in the still-short history of post-Soviet Russia. Below I would like to present several of the most generally held viewpoints.