Abstract:
The article examines the confrontation between «liberals» and «statists» of the Russian political and economic thought. It was shown that the liberalization of economic life is essential for the transition to sustainable socio- economic development. The necessary reliance on state investment activity, which in the current situation required, but insufficient to break the negative trends. To prevent negative development is possible only through along with institutional reforms in the economic sphere, forming a layer of economically independent entrepreneurs, not less profound transformation of political institutions in the direction of democratization of society.