THE ROLE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY: A POLITICAL AND LEGAL ANALYSIS
Keywords:
civil society, middle class, rule of law, property rights, entrepreneurship, poverty reduction, legal culture, public consciousness, social state, New UzbekistanAbstract
The article examines the role of the middle class in the development of civil society from political, legal and socio-economic perspectives. The study proceeds from the premise that a stable stratum of owners, entrepreneurs, professionals and economically active citizens is not merely an economic indicator, but also a political and legal factor that strengthens social balance, civic responsibility and institutional participation. The paper analyzes classical views on the middle class, its transformation in modern industrial and post-industrial societies, and the legal-institutional conditions shaping the middle class in New Uzbekistan. Special attention is paid to property rights, entrepreneurship, poverty reduction, privatization, the “people’s IPO” mechanism, and the constitutional recognition of employment and poverty reduction as state responsibilities. The article argues that the middle class becomes a real actor of civil society when ownership, legal culture, civic participation and social responsibility are formed as mutually reinforcing elements.
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