Some Aspects of Intergovernmental Relations in the Russian Federation

Abstract

Russian budget federalism of today is quite different from the previous one. In the soviet period of Russia, federalism was a state-centered system with the states (republics) continuing to administer the scores of local programs and the central government handling a specifi c few. Constitutional changes, historic developments, and social, political, and economic transformations of the nation – all of these have changed the meaning of the term «federalism» – «budget federalism». What started as an effort to create a perfect Union, in the 1990s evolved into a relatively integrated governmental system. Three levels of governments (federal government, state governments and local governments) are sovereign in their own assigned spheres of authority. However, only few would deny that current federal-state relationships are characterized far more by cooperation, coordination, and sharing the power than by separation and competition. National, state, and local governments are daily involved in mutual activities – constructing transports projects, etc. National government shares functions with state and local governments. «Federalism» has become synonymous with «intergovernmentalism», and «intergovernmentalism» has become synonymous with the «sharing functions». The pattern of intergovernmental cooperation has always been characteristic of Russian federalism (Russian budget federalism). Nevertheless, the model of distribution of functions of levels of Russian governments – and functions in fi nancial sphere – has always been different.