In 2016 Germany will become the OSCE chairman. As the OSCE chairman Germany plans to pay special attention on such issues as the OSCE modernization, the Ukraine conflict solving and conventional arms control. Perhaps the responsibility imposed on Germany in the framework of the OSCE may lead to a revision of the general principles of German foreign policy, particularly with regard to Russia.

The article deals with the general theoretical analysis of such a category as “legitimacy” and the mechanisms of legitimization of political power. The authors research the nature of crises of legitimacy and the approaches for getting over them. Using the achievements of modern political theory, historical and social science in the article an effort is made to estimate to what extent the political order of post-communist Russia is legitimate.

In the article the influence of the crisis of industrial civilization on the modern political development is analyzed. The phenomenon of ideology and its actual transformations are in the focus of the author’s attention. In the article it’s shown that the ideology of neoliberalism is a reason for the rise of global tension.

This article is devoted to topical issues of implementation of the state policy in the field of information security activities of the Government. The author believes that the development of an information society presupposes the solution of priority tasks of free search, receipt, production and dissemination of information for every member of society, media development, the formation of public information resources to provide accessible information services, provision of conditions for the establishment, development and operation of information systems, formation of a single information space of the country and its integration into the global information space. The author also notes the need to build in a system of government objectives and strategies for implementing the idea of "electronic government".

The article is devoted to the assessment of rating system of scientific and educational centers as part of globalization the global education market. The article describes the following university rankings: The Times Higher Education, Academic Ranking of World Universities, OS World University Rankings. The author analyzes the representation of universities in the world rankings. It is shown that the first positions among the leading universities occupy the American universities. Listed differences methodological aspects of rankings and influence of these differences on correlation analysis of rankings results. Described the position of Russian universities in the rankings. The article contain proposals to development the Russia's national ranking and promotion in the international community.

The monograph “Evolution of forms, methods and tools of confrontation in modern conflicts” is analyzed in the following article. It is stated, that changes in the nature of wars and armed violence in the modern world is deeply scrutinized in the monograph. Evolution of forms, methods and tools of confrontation in armed conflicts in conditions of globalization was researched in the monograph. Specific attention was paid to the study of local wars and internal armed conflicts. The author deduces, that a wellfounded conclusion is drawn in the monograph considering the nature of modern world and that one of the signs of the modern war is a significant expansion of confrontation between subjects of international politics. According to reviewer’s opinion, the authors of the monograph succeeded in proving, that nonmilitary forms and means of warfare are unprecedentedly developing and obtain dangerous and violent traits. An appeal to the scientific community and political leaders of the Russian Federation to take all necessary measures to prevent increasing challenges and threats to international and national security seems to be valid.