The relationship between the categories of “political culture” and “electoral behavior” in european political thought
This article is devoted to identifying the interrelationship and interdependence of political culture and electoral behavior in the concepts of European political researchers. The methodology of the study is based on the assumption that electoral behavior is a comprehensive political and legal indicator of the level and nature of political culture. The following methods of research are used: systemic analysis, chronological analysis of scientific concepts on the topic of research, analysis of factors that affect the dynamics of political consciousness and electoral behavior. As a result of the study of scientific approaches on the topic of the article, it was revealed that the methodology for studying the dynamics of political processes is now in the active development stage and is constantly replenished with new research hypotheses. It is shown that in chronologically early concepts, moral and ethical ideas, traditions, customs and religion come first in the structure of political consciousness. This circumstance is associated with the high role of traditional and religious factors in the consciousness and life of all societies until the beginning of the 20th century. It is argued that at the present stage of post-industrial development, the model of electoral behavior preferred for Western European researchers is the model of a targeted voter, which involves the sustainability and clarity of political values and preferences, normative oriented political behavior, as well as the “habit” of critically analyzing the programs and speeches of public leaders and parties for their usefulness for the voter. At the same time, this model still remains quite abstract and difficult to implement in electoral practices, since its implementation is hindered by irrational political archetypes, symbols, myths - components of the political consciousness of modern man.