The American state and political parties in the mirror of Soviet American studies

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Abstract

Background. Beginning in the 1950s, i.e., with the intensification of the confrontation be-tween the two global hegemons – the USA and the USSR – American studies became one of the leading fields in the Soviet humanities. Within American studies, particular attention was paid to issues of state, law, and politics. This article provides an analytical review of the main works of Soviet American studies, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Materials and methods. From the extensive scholarly legacy, this study primarily focuses on monographs, dissertations, and, in some cases, articles, written primarily at the country's key academic venues of the time. Critical analysis and comparison are employed, along with a selective discussion of individual works. Results. It is established that Soviet American studies largely devoted its work to significant historical anniversaries – the 100th anniversary of the Civil War, the 200th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War, and the 200th anniversary of the adoption of the US Constitution. At the same time, it also explored topics of unquestionable significance "without reference" to historical dates: the development of capitalism in the premodern era, the state of public consciousness in the late 19th century in connection with the development of state expansion, the farmers' movement, and the state's response to it. A major achievement of Soviet American studies in the 1980s was the study of the two-party system in the United States, which had a fundamental impact on the state. Conclusions. Despite its undeniable success, Soviet American studies was not free of ideological illusions, stemming from the key role of the labour movement and the American Communist Party, an inadequate interpretation of the Black question, and an excessive focus on foreign policy. At the same time, Soviet Americanists contributed not only academically but also through informational and propaganda efforts to Soviet people's understanding of a country that was foreign and distant to them.

About the authors

Aleksei Yu. Salomatin

Penza State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: valeriya_zinovev@mail.ru

Doctor of Law, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Theory of State and Law and Political Studies

40 Krasnaya street, Penza, 440026

Shakhrutdin G. Seidov

Penza State University

Email: tabaris@mail.ru

Doctor of Political Sciences, Associate Professor, Professor of the Department of State and Legal Disciplines

40 Krasnaya street, Penza, 440026

Ekaterina V. Nakvakina

Penza State University

Email: katrion84@mail.ru

Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Theory of State and Law and Political Studies

40 Krasnaya street, Penza, 440026

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