The Development of the Theory of Democracy and the Contribution of Seymour Martin Lipset to Political Sociology

Abstract

The article is devoted to Seymour Martin Lipset, an outstanding American sociologist with Russian roots (a descendant of Jewish emigrants from the Russian Empire), in it the author recalls the history of meeting this outstanding sociologist and his meetings with him, his colleagues and friends, studying his scientific experience while attending lectures by C. M. Lipset at the University of J. Washington and participation in scientific discussions at the University of J. Mason's in Fairfax. The article is based on historical-comparative and comparative methods, the Sorbonne method of in-depth work with the text, content analysis of scientific papers and publications in the media and included observation. The author firmly believes that the analysis of the scientific heritage of Seymour Martin Lipset is impossible without taking into account the civic position of the scientist, which determined the subject of his research: the formation and development of democracy in the United States and other countries, the role of legitimacy, the organization of political parties, the development of the electoral process, the importance of conflicts and consensus in regulating public relations and changing the political system (the dilemma of capitalism-socialism or the third way).