Activity Motivation for Public Councils Members of Executive Authorities of the Russian Federation Entities

Abstract

The article carries out a study of the current status of public councils in the executive authorities of the Russian Federation entities. Public councils appeared in 2014 as an instrument of public control, but during five years of their existence they failed to become an effective instrument of openness and accountability of the authorities to the civil society institutions. The article examines the experts opinions and the results of investigating the practice of public councils by the All-Russian Popular Front in the Russian Federation entities. The author analyzes the issue of motives and incentives of public councils members which are called upon to perform control of the activities of public authorities on a voluntary basis, brings forth the data on citizens involvement in volunteer activities. The analysis of the literature devoted to volunteers shows that this activity involves mainly young people. As they grow up, while keeping an active civil position, it is young people who can become participants of the public control and express their civil position exactly in this way, without the use of protest activity.