Keywords
paradigm
election campaign
anthropologic paradigm
institutionalism
cognitive paradigm
How to Cite
Abstract
Background. Consideration of the election campaign as a legal and psychological process relies on the fact that it is the main tool for the legitimation and legalization of state power. Consideration of the election campaign as a psychological category involves determining its main legal foundations and the reaction to them from the subjects of the election process. Thus, consideration of the election campaign as a legal and psychological phenomenon requires theoretical and methodological consideration.
Objective. To characterize the essence of election campaign as a legal and psychological phenomena in the context of paradigmatic approach by Thomas Samuel Kuhn.
Methods. The methodological basis of the study consists of structural-functional, systematic, comparative-legal and legal-empirical methods that reflect the manifestation of institutional and psychological elements of the election campaign and their interaction within the context of the practical foundations of the functioning of political-legal systems.
Results. The article determines the typology of the main constituent elements of the election process, which are determined by legal and psychological factors. Definition is given to the concept of election technology, which is a set of legal and psychological ways of achieving a political goal set by active actors of the election campaign. In accordance with the legal and psychological criterion, the main subjects of the election campaign are defined, and their direct and indirect influence on this process is also analyzed.
Conclusions. It was determined that the psychological aspect of the election campaign is the conduct of pre-election campaigning and the ability of the subjects of the election process to influence public opinion, while its legal aspect is manifested mainly at the institutional level. Using the example of campaigns in the United States, Canada, and Belgium, it is demonstrated how state legal institutions can influence the voting process itself, as well as its result, that is, how an institutional factor can determine human behavior.
Key words: legal psychology, paradigm, election campaign, anthropologic paradigm, institutionalism, cognitive paradigm.
Received: May 16, 2026
Accepted: June 23, 2026
Published: June 30, 2026
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