The stability of the territorial-administrative structure is the most important sign of the successful development of the state as a whole, and in certain areas of its life. The stability of the state structure depends on its optimal formation, which occurs according to a number of criteria: historical, national, geographical, religious, economic and others. In connection with the active development of capitalist relations in the territory of the former USSR, the search for the most effective structure of the Russian Federation is an urgent issue and has its own characteristics.
Features of the formation of the Russian Federation
The history of the formation of the territorial structure of Russia differs from other countries. The Russian Federation, as the name implies, is a federation. In most cases, the formation of a federal state took place by combining two or more previously independent entities. The way of establishing the statehood of the Russian Federation was different, since the Russian Federation was formed not by unification, but by the creation of autonomous entities within the country.
As a result, the fundamental document of the form of administrative-territorial structure is not a treaty, but the Constitution. This process was lengthy and has a direct impact on the current situation.
The history of the formation of government
The issue of the territorial and administrative structure of Russia has deep roots. In Kievan Rus, the lands of the individual princes were divided into volosts, which were rural destinies with elements of self-government. At the beginning of the 13th century, counties appeared, which were the merger of volosts. In the Russian Empire, counties are united in the provinces and governor generals.
This structure of the Russian Empire became the basis for the territorial-administrative structure of the USSR. The peculiarity of the hierarchy of the administrative division of the Soviet Union was five levels (for most countries three levels are characteristic or, in rare cases, four), as a result, the complexity of the structure led to conflicts between different state apparatuses. This fact is considered one of the reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union. Note that such a hierarchy of levels in the USSR greatly influenced the formation of the administrative structure of Russia.
The modern hierarchy of state structures of the Russian Federation
As a result of the collapse of the USSR, the status of most administrative entities changed. This process was reflected in the Constitution, which formed the current map of the territorial-administrative structure of Russia.
The structure of the administrative division of the Russian Federation
The administrative and territorial structure of Russia includes 88 entities. These entities have the same legal status, while they differ in population, size of the territory and economic level of development. The administrative structure of the Russian Federation has the largest number of entities in the world and is redundant and unbalanced.
Obligations and rights of subjects of the Russian Federation
The subjects of the Russian Federation do not have the right to conclude international agreements. Bilateral and multilateral treaties of the federal leadership and regional entities distribute powers between them. Equality of all constituent entities of the Russian Federation is ensured by:
- the territorial-administrative structure of Russia with fixed borders, the revision of which is impossible without mutual consent at the federal and regional level;
- subjects have their own highest law;
- the presence of a legislative body in each subject of the Russian Federation and the possibility of legislative activity, provided that these laws do not contradict the Constitution and apply only to the territory of this subject;
- executive and judicial system;
- the presence of state symbols.
The general list of rights and obligations of entities determines the relationship both with central authorities and with other regions of the country.
Russian device development trends
The processes of the modern world economy show the need for close relationships between entities at the regional and federal levels. This issue is especially relevant when solving problems on objects of joint ownership. To overcome these problems, economic zones have been formed that take into account the features of the administrative-territorial units.
The activity of economic zones is determined by the production potential of the regions, natural, labor resources and other features. The activity of economic zones is aimed at solving the following problems:
- creating the necessary level of self-sufficiency;
- solving the problems of the region;
- creating local markets;
- coordination of the development of the subject;
- representation at the federal level.
However, the creation of economic zones does not solve all the problems of the territorial-administrative structure of Russia. These problems primarily include the lack of elaboration of the legislative framework and the lack of effective coordination of activities at the federal and regional levels.
Creation of Federal Districts
In order to increase coordination of the activities of state structures at all levels, in May 2000 seven federal districts were formed, which are not territorial entities of the country and do not cancel the division into economic regions. Also, federal districts do not affect the administrative structure of Russia, but are aimed at maintaining the state hierarchy of power. The need for such measures is due to the imbalance of the administrative hierarchy and its bulkiness.
The procedure of enlarging the subjects is necessary, but this process is very complex and can cause a number of national, religious and social conflicts. The problems are complicated by municipal reforms.
Local government in Russia
One of the main problems of changing the form of the administrative-territorial structure of the country is the ratio of the structures of federal government and municipal self-government. The local government system in Russia was implemented only in the 90s. Accordingly, a number of problems arose in the reform process (lack of a regulatory framework, economic dependence of local authorities, etc.). The incomplete reform of local self-government does not make it possible to carry out territorial-administrative reorganization at the interregional and federal levels.
Causes of the problems of correlation of federal government and local government structures
These problems are the duality of the essence of the administrative-territorial division of any country:
- Dividing the territory of the state in order to most effectively manage the central government: national programs, defense, tax collection, the use of strategic resources and more. This phenomenon was characteristic of the Russian Empire and the USSR, which eventually became one of the reasons for their collapse.
- Dividing the territory of the state according to national, religious, historical and other signs. It was characteristic of the late stage of Kievan Rus, when, under the threat of an external enemy, the country did not unite.
In the first case, neglect of the interests of the local population arises. In the second, the interests of a particular group prevail over the state. The balance between these extremes will be a sign of the effectiveness of the territorial-administrative structure of Russia.
Prospects for the development of the territorial structure of the Russian Federation
As a legacy from the USSR, Russia received a bulky state structure, the need for reform of which was obvious. However, in the context of the transition to market relations and the creation of a local government system, the administrative reform process was not completed. To solve the problems, enlargement of the constituent entities of the Federation is required and it is necessary to avoid mistakes made in the USSR.
Also, the formation of the system of municipal government, during which cultural, ethnic, economic, religious and other contradictions arose, was not completed. Solving these issues requires an integrated approach: strengthening the federal center and the acquisition of economic independence of the regions.