Mobile applications of political parties in the Russian Federation as a tool for network interaction with the electorate

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The article is dedicated to trends in the use of mobile gadgets by political parties. The subject of our research is the functional, structural, and visual characteristics of the software developed by the political parties "United Russia" and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF). The object of the study is the mobile applications of these parties: "United Russia," "CPRF ID," "Up. PRO," "Observer ER," and "Agitator ER." The goal of the research is to analyze and compare the digital projects of "United Russia" and the CPRF, to identify their specifics, and to determine their role and potential in modern Russian political communication. The relevance of the topic is conditioned by the current political circumstances. Due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Russian digital products are being removed from international app stores, AppStore and Google Play. In recent years, political organizations in Russia have begun to develop their projects in domestic services such as RuMarket, NashStore, and RuStore. The research is based on a descriptive method and also incorporates elements of quantitative analysis. We identified indicators of general statistics for channels in the Russian service RuStore (number of downloads, user ratings, etc.). Furthermore, using the comparative analysis method, we compared the parameters of general statistics, as well as the visual and functional-structural aspects of the parties' digital products. The novelty of our research lies in the first comprehensive experience of systematizing digital party developments in Russia. Unlike many domestic and foreign authors, we have for the first time conducted an in-depth study of the specifics of Russian party media in the face of challenges posed by the modern network environment, including factors such as anti-Russian sanctions, import substitution policies, and the transition to domestic digital services. During the research, it was established that the only parties placing applications in RuStore are United Russia and the CPRF. Moreover, United Russia's applications form a system designed for both the electorate and party members, while the CPRF, as the only competitor to United Russia in the field of mobile communications, is currently focusing solely on the electorate. Based on the data obtained, we also developed a typology of party mobile applications, based on their functional purpose and target audience.

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