The modern world consists of many states, most of which are multinational, so the question arises of such a joint organization of people's lives that would suit everyone, or at least the majority. Many countries, when exercising authority and authorities, allow a certain independence of the territories included in their composition. This is what autonomy is in its simplest sense.
The emergence of the concept and its meaning
This is a word of Greek origin. Why did it appear there? To do this, just remember the history of ancient Greece. At that time, it was not a single state, but was woven from numerous city-states and alliances between them. In order to function effectively, these entities had to reckon with the tendencies of the center that prevail in many policies. Invaluable help could be provided by such a system of coexistence that would allow combining the interests of city-states of various sizes and influence. And the Greeks introduced the concept of autonomy. The word consists of two components: "autos" ("self", "independently") and "nomos" ("law"). Thus, even the most insignificant policies of ancient Greece began to possess a certain degree of independence in resolving certain issues, which made it possible to maintain a certain political balance. This is what autonomy is in the ancient Greek sense.
The principle of autonomy in the formation of the state
Currently, this method is also used very widely, while it all depends on traditions, the legislative framework and the way of organizing state power. Nevertheless, in any country applying autonomy, such a device primarily means a certain independence of parts of a single state. The degree of this sovereignty in each case is determined individually and is based on the country's constitution.
The formation and level of autonomous units are most often dictated by the national composition of the country. Using this method, the state guarantees the necessary level of national-ethnic needs of peoples. In addition, it is a way to respect the right of nations to self-determination without the tragic consequences for the unity of the country. The system of power and management in the Russian Federation is built on this principle. All subjects of the Russian Federation have autonomous rights.
Types of Autonomy
In political science, there are many interpretations of what autonomy is. The definition can be disclosed as follows: this is self-government and independence of parts of a single state. The division into territorial and national-cultural autonomy is generally accepted. In our country, both of these species are represented. The first means the creation of self-governing entities within certain borders, within which representatives of any ethnic groups live (Tatarstan, Yakutia, etc.). All of them have the actual signs of a state, which means they have their own territory, flag, coat of arms, anthem, government, official language or languages, and legislation.
National-cultural autonomy is an extraterritorial concept. This means that national groups are scattered across many subjects of the country, and to meet ethnic needs, they can be created in any corner of the state. The basis of this concept is the national union and the preservation of the language, traditions and other attributes of folk culture. That is what cultural-national autonomy within the Russian Federation is.
The method of interethnic cooperation
In modern times, in the Russian Federation there are about nine federal, about a hundred regional and more than two hundred local national-cultural autonomies. In the USA and some European countries this form is expressed in a slightly different way: national municipalities are created there, which are called upon to solve all the necessary issues related to the development of the ethnic group. However, in the United States there is no territorial autonomy, all issues are resolved by local national communities, to which the authorities provide certain powers. New York is divided into many national quarters, to which the City Hall granted the right to self-government. Thus, autonomy can exist even within the framework of one city. Nevertheless, this allows to a certain extent to level nationalist sentiments among the population.
Features of the domestic government in the light of recent events
More recently, Crimea has become part of Russia. So what is Crimean autonomy? The uniqueness of the situation lies in the fact that the peninsula was originally part of the RSFSR as a self-governing unit, in 1954 it was transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which, in turn, was part of the USSR. The constitution of the latter was built on the principles of federalism. Though formally, there was a legislative base. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Crimea became part of a single Ukraine, which was built on a unitary principle, but the peninsula retained its independence. Serious contradictions were brewing between Kiev and Sevastopol, which reached their peak in 1996.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine canceled the constitution of the Crimea, the Supreme Council was deprived of all powers, but the Kiev government was forced to reckon with the population of the peninsula. Therefore, in 1998 a new Basic Law of Crimea was adopted, which significantly narrowed the independence of this entity, but the status of autonomy was retained. In 2014, through a referendum, Crimea was included in the Russian Federation, it received autonomous control in the person of the Supreme Council and its chairman, in addition, the city of Sevastopol was allocated as an independent unit, having received the status of a city of federal significance. That is what Crimea autonomy is.
Legal manifestation of the term
The concept of "autonomy" is used not only in the political and administrative plane, it is also common in jurisprudence. We will examine in more detail what autonomy of the will of the parties is. Persons or organizations concluding an agreement automatically become subjects of international law. In its most general form, this means that the parties, by mutual agreement, have the right to choose the legislation of the country with which they are going to regulate the legal relations arising between them. Basically, this principle applies in the field of international business law. The agreement must be expressed directly or follow from the logic of the contract. If for some reason it is absent, then the legal system of the country to which the contract is most relevant is applied.
To summarize
The variety of application of this principle in real life can significantly reduce tension in both interethnic and interstate relations, and its application in the field of international law helps to revive economic and, as a result, political ties between the diverse interests of the entire mass of social groups and state entities. This is what autonomy is in the contradictory modern world.