Supporters and opponents of public service reform (classification experience)

The article suggests a comprehensive multivariable and multidimensional classification of social forces and groups upholding public service reform (supporters), forces standing up against it (opponents) and groups indifferent to the reforming process (morasses). The classification comprises the level of state policy, social groups and personal one. The issue of designing such a classification has not only been addressed, but also has not been raised yet in academic studies: all the efforts resulted in elementary contrasting between reformers and conservatives, whereas existent situation involves far more complicated balance of forces. Stocktaking of social potential of the reform following such a thorny path and the forces confronting it appears to be a rather relevant issue. It may become an integral part of a large project, which will broaden our scientific knowledge and, moreover, will open up an opportunity for our state construction practices to evaluate more thoroughly implications of the steps taken and will increase the level of drawing up reforming programs and plans. Thus, the author considers this article as a theoretical base for empirical investigation, as only specific sociological analysis may encourage a comprehensive evaluation of actual social base required for our state machinery improvement, forces more or less confronting it, and possible stockpiles that might be made supportive to the reform, with adequate reforming strategy and tactics provided.