Evolution of the Management Structure of Russia’s Regional Socio-Economic Policy at the Level of Federal Ministries

Spatial disproportion in Russia’s socio-economic development has resulted in significant variations in the economic conditions and wellbeing of the population. This makes the development and assessment of regional policy particularly important. The evolution of Russia’s recent policy toward its regions and options for the future are examined by means of a comprehensive retrospective analysis of the normative legal acts regulating the structure and powers of the Russian Federation’s federal executive authorities from 1990 to the present. The article identifies four stages in the formation of the institutional structure for regional socio-economic policy and shows that considerable experience in its institutional support has been accumulated over the past thirty years. The article argues, however, that the main determinants of change in the structure of the authorities responsible for the development and implementation of regional policy were seldom new goals, tasks, and priorities, but particular events requiring an emergency response or adjustment of public image. The current distribution of regional policy functions across several ministries does not facilitate the strategic development of the constituent regions of the Federation and is aimed instead at accomplishing individual tasks and developing certain preferred territories. The research conducted complements existing studies by substantiating the stages in institutional support for regional policy implemented by the federal ministries of the Russian Federation, establishing the features of each of the stages identified, and describing the current state of this institutional support. Because of deep differentiation in regional development, increased foreign policy pressure, expansion of economic sanctions, and budget deficits, the practical value of this study lies in facilitating the search for a new and effective model of regional policy based on a common understanding of the strategy for regional development, the justifications for allocation of resources, and harmonization of interethnic relations.

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