A THEORETICAL AND LEGAL ANALYSIS OF THE DEFINITIONS OF «HEGEMON» AND «DEMOCRACY» IN THE NEW EXPLANATORY DICTIONARY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Author(s): Carla Rampino

Rubric: Content, problems and trends in the development of public law

DOI: 10.21777/2587-9472-2026-3-19-25

Release: 2026-3 (51)

Pages: 19-25

Keywords: state language, dictionary, hegemony, democracy, ideology, the West, political and legal processes

Annotation: This article analyzes the legal and academic criticism directed at the new edition of the explanatory dictionary of the state language of the Russian Federation published in 2025. The study focuses on the semantic content and legal significance of the terms “hegemon” and “democracy” in this source. The author addresses the accusation – which she considers unfounded – that the dictionary engages in ideological indoctrination. The study’s methodology in- cludes a hermeneutic analysis of legal and linguistic definitions, as well as a historical and legal comparison. The study finds that characterizing the USA as a “hegemon” and the Western model as a “fictitious democracy” reflects objective political and legal processes and the practice of international relations, rather than being the product of purely ideological construction. The author concludes that the new vocabulary should be viewed as a tool for the legal formalization of current geopolitical realities, prompting a rethinking of the crisis facing classical democratic institu- tions. The article argues for the necessity of abandoning politicized assessments in favor of rigorous legal analysis. In the text of the article, the Russian Federation is abbreviated as RF.

Bibliography: Carla RA. A THEORETICAL AND LEGAL ANALYSIS OF THE DEFINITIONS OF «HEGEMON» AND «DEMOCRACY» IN THE NEW EXPLANATORY DICTIONARY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION // Journal of Legal Sciences. – 2026. – № 3 (51). – С. 19-25. doi: 10.21777/2587-9472-2026-3-19-25