Effective modernization is impossible without competent, socially responsible and supporting democratic values political elites. This research is devoted to the comparison of current and potential Russian political elites’ notions of actual and ideal political leaders and elites. It is based on 50 interviews with members of the State Duma and 200 interviews with students of leading Moscow universities.
The results of the research demonstrate similarity of parliamentarians and students’ notions. They suggest competence and responsibility to be unimportant features of political elites and consider society to be insignificant political actor. The difference is that students in contrast to parliamentarians are critical of current situation. Current political elites cannot be a reference group and has no incentive for development. However Russian youth, who will replace them sooner or later, are not able to promote modernization as well. During more than 20 years of post-Soviet period they could not acquire democratic values.
