The article examines the administrative and legal principles of decentralization in the activities of central executive bodies. The theoretical and methodological essence of traditions in the process of functioning of public power is considered and generalized taking into account the peculiarities of the science of public administration. The fruitfulness of the traditions of decentralization of public power of Ukraine is analyzed and substantiated. It is stated that taking into account the traditions of public power is important for the reform of central executive bodies, as the traditions of public power enshrine in the public consciousness of the people legal norms; store information, are a means of overcoming the crisis, perform the functions of protection against ill-considered innovations, the implementation of which leads to devastating consequences have a significant impact on public sentiment and the current political and legal situation. The term "decentralization" and its impact on the domestic management tradition are revealed. The classification of the main forms and types of decentralization is given. Theoretical approaches to the identification of European and domestic traditions of decentralization in the activities of central executive bodies on the basis of economic, political, administrative-territorial criteria, which can determine the signs of decentralization of public power in different countries in different periods. The tradition of decentralization in Ukraine is defined as a political and managerial legacy of the past in terms of building a system of government on the basis of self-government and selforganization and which falls under an objective definition, preserves and modifies its content in the transition to the present. The scientific periodization of decentralization processes in Ukraine was established, which allowed to determine the specific historical models and organizational forms acquired by the tradition of decentralization in Ukraine, the factors of stability of the decentralization tradition processes of decentralization are set by the specific historical stage of development of society. The concept of improving the system of central executive bodies in Ukraine on the basis of the tradition of decentralization by developing the principle of deconcentration of power in the system of public power is proposed.