Mukhametov Ruslan S.

The issue of bicameralism is one of the main research areas in the framework of legislative studies due to the spread of bicameral national parliaments in the world. Despite bicameralism at the subnational level in in- dividual countries, political scientists underestimate this topic. How can we explain the creation of regional bicameral assemblies? This article is devoted to the search for an answer to this question. Post-Soviet Russia with its nine subjects, where the second chambers of legislative assemblies were established, is a kind of nat- ural laboratory to analyze the reasons of subnational bicameralism. To achieve this goal, the author chose the congruence analysis as part of the case study. The congruence analysis involves performing several steps:

• consideration of several theories explaining the creation of political institutions; 2) selection of a case for studying; 3) verification of the explanatory power of theoretical The conceptual basis of the research was neo-institutionalism and its main directions – rational choice theory, sociological institution-

alism and diffusion theory in particular. The region with a bicameral legislature, which became the object of the research, was the Sverdlovsk region. The article examines the origin of the idea of bicameralism and the establishment of a second chamber in the region. As a result of the conducted research, the author came to the conclusion that the rational choice theory has a weak force in explaining subnational bicameralism. It is shown that the creation of a bicameral regional legislature is the result of the consequences of national historical processes and circumstances. The idea of creating a second chamber was taken from the constitu- tional projects of 1992-1993 and/or foreign practice of state power organization.

Purpose. This article is aimed at creating a general portrait of the members of the ruling elite of the largest region by area as the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The aim of the research is to compare the collective portraits of the regional higher administrative elite under two extreme top officials (E. A. Borisov and A. S. Nikolaev), as well as to substantiate both common features and differences. Methods. To achieve this goal, the authors used a biographical method that allowed them to analyze the socio-demographic and socio-professional qualities of members of the Yakut government. The second method - comparativism - helped to identify common and special features in the portraits of representatives of the regional ruling elite during the turnover of the head of the region. Results. In the course of their work, the authors came to the following conclusions. The change of the top official has led to changes in the environment of the highest administrative elite of the region: the representation (share) of women in the Republican Executive bodies has increased, there has been a ’rejuvenation” the number of government members with humanitarian education has become dominant, and people from the cities of the region has become more significant. The collective portrait of the regional Minister looks like this: this is a middle-aged man who is a native of the region and comes from rural areas, who received higher technical (under A. Borisov) or humanitarian (under A. Nikolaev) education in Yakut universities and before being appointed to the post of Minister, working in the public or municipal administration. In addition, as an explanatory model of these changes, the narrative of the impact of the life path, work experience and individual characteristics of the heads of the region was proposed. Scientific novelty is in a systematic/integrated approach to the consideration of the regional ruling elite. Previous works were characterized by a narrow specialization, i.e. they revealed one or another aspect of the topic under consideration. In other words, this study fills the vacuum to some extent.

Purpose. The research paper is devoted to the creation of a collective portrait of members of the Public Chamber of the Sverdlovsk region. The subject of the study is the socio-demographic and socio-professional characteristics of the members of the regional Public Chamber. Practical experience shows that at certain moments of acute public discussions, when a platform is needed for the coordination of interests between the society (or its separate active group) and the ruling elite, the regional Public Chamber plays a passive role and takes a "wait-and-see" position. The discrepancy between the theory and practice of the functioning of this institution requires the presence of some explanatory model. The hypothesis of our research is the following: the reason that the regional Public Chamber does not always cope with its function (to be a place of coordination of interests of different groups of society and authorities) is its personnel. Methods. The article is based on Ignacio Arana's concept of elites, positional approach, and the theory of deliberative democracy. De jure, members of the elite derive their influence from their legal, formal positions, while de facto members of the elite exercise influence based on their role in society. The first category includes such positions as heads of state, heads of government, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, judges, governors, deputies, party leaders, ambassadors, advisers and senior civil servants. The second category includes businesspersons, lobbyists, Trade Union leaders, analysts, scientists, journalists, and opinion leaders. In our case, the members of the regional Public Chamber are the de facto political elite. Comparativism (method of comparative analysis) was the main analytical tool. The biographical method was used in the research paper. Results. Because of the study, the authors concluded that a typical member of the regional Public Chamber is a mature man with the education in a technical field engaged in socially useful activities. Scientific novelty. An explanatory model of the passive role of the regional Public Chamber is proposed.

This article is devoted to determining the dynamics of the level of competition in the gubernatorial elections in Russia. Despite the existence of two diametrically opposite approaches, it can be stated that at the subnational level, the heads of the subjects of the Russian Federation are the highest officials, heads of the highest executive bodies of regional power. The study notes that since the early 2000s, the role of the main actor in regional political and electoral processes gradually began to move to the Federal government, which by the end of 2004 finally changed the balance of power in its favor through the implementation of the Federal reform, as well as party and electoral reforms. Methods. Institutionalism, comparativism, effective number of parties (Laakso-Taagepera index), the Herfindahl-Hirschman index. The results of the study showed that in comparison with the second half of the 1990s there is a tendency to reduce the level of electoral competition in the gubernatorial elections in the country. A direct link between the Federal presence in the region and the degree of electoral competition at the subnational level was identified. At the same time, the Federal center plays the role of demotivator of regional electoral competition. The study revealed a pattern between the level of electoral competition of candidates in direct elections of heads of regions and the degree of political and legal presence of the Federal center in the subjects of the Russian Federation. According to the results of the study, the decrease in the level of concreteness of direct gubernatorial elections coincides with the periods of reform of Federal relations associated with the restriction of regional autonomy: the wider it is, the higher the level of electoral competition, and vice versa.

Purpose. The article is devoted to the study of the regional ruling elite (on the example of the Middle Urals). The aim of the study is to study the features of the formation, functioning and rotation of the regional ruling elite. The priority task of the article is to identify the main characteristics of the regional ruling elite, the key trends in its evolution. Methods. The study was performed in the framework of litologicheskogo paradigm of political science. The author gives preference to the positional approach in identifying the elite. The main analytical tool was comparativism. The method of comparative analysis was used in the cross-temporal dimension (to reveal the features and General parameters of the ruling elite of the Middle Urals at various stages of the regional political process). The biographical method was also used in the work, i.e. the study was based on the analysis of biographical data of the administrative (higher bureaucratic) elite of the Sverdlovsk region... Purpose. The article is devoted to the study of the regional ruling elite (on the example of the Middle Urals). The aim of the study is to study the features of the formation, functioning and rotation of the regional ruling elite. The priority task of the article is to identify the main characteristics of the regional ruling elite, the key trends in its evolution. Methods. The study was performed in the framework of litologicheskogo paradigm of political science. The author gives preference to the positional approach in identifying the elite. The main analytical tool was comparativism. The method of comparative analysis was used in the cross-temporal dimension (to reveal the features and General parameters of the ruling elite of the Middle Urals at various stages of the regional political process). The biographical method was also used in the work, i.e. the study was based on the analysis of biographical data of the administrative (higher bureaucratic) elite of the Sverdlovsk region. Results. As a result of the study, the author came to the conclusion that in the evolution of the regional ruling elite under the Governor E. Kuyvashev it is possible to identify two periods that are radically different from each other. We are talking about a consensually United elite at the first stage and a fragmentary divided elite at the second. Regional ruling elites are characterized by the dominance of men in the higher echelons of regional power, the presence of higher education with a predominance of engineering specialties. Scientific novelty. A new periodization in the evolution of the ruling elite of the Middle Urals at the present stage is proposed. function show_eabstract() { $('#eabstract1').hide(); $('#eabstract2').show(); $('#eabstract_expand').hide(); } ▼Показать полностью

Purpose. Study of the problems of the third sector of the Sverdlovsk region. Methods. Sociological approach (traditional structured interview) was used. The comparative method is used. Results. The problems hindering the development of the third sector in the Sverdlovsk region were highlighted. The study concludes that the problems faced WITH regional NGOs, have their own specifics that distinguish them from most other subjects of the Russian Federation. This is due to the fact that The middle Urals is a region with a well-developed third sector. Scientific novelty. The necessity to pay maximum attention to these problems when developing the Strategy of civil society development in the Sverdlovsk region is substantiated.

Purpose. Study of municipal policy in Russia during the period of building the «vertical of power». Methods. Using the methodologies of comparative analysis and comparative studies, the author identified general and specific characteristics of the municipal policies in Russia. The study used a complex of historical techniques (domain-chronological and historical-comparative), which involves analyzing the origin and development of local self-government in the Russian Federation. Results. In the article the author shows that there is a course on nationalization of local self-government; finds offensive tendencies of partial restoration of subordination inherent in local self-government of the Soviet period. The article makes a conclusion about domination of the approach to local self-government as a lower level of authority that must be under control. Scientific novelty. Scientific novelty of the research lies in the municipal policy on material samples taken from the political life of the Middle Urals.

Purpose. To identify the steps and examine the reasons for the evolution of the order of governor's corps formation in Russia. Methods. The work is based on the methods of retrospective analysis, synthesis and analysis of the legal framework that governs the election of governors questions. Results. The author identifies several stages of the regional governors' election. The article outlines the main reasons for introducing a system of empowerment. The causes of the return of direct elections were defined. Scientific novelty. The study proposed a periodization of the order of forming governors' corps.

Purpose. The article discusses the evolution of local self-government in the Russian Federation. Methods. The author conducted its study relying on methods of retrospective analysis, synthesis and evaluation of transformational regulatory framework governing the Organization of local self-government. The results. The author singles out several stages of development of the Institute of local government. Much attention is given to the constitutional foundations of local self-government. The author gave a clear summary of the main provisions of the reform of local self-government in 2014-2015, identifying trends for future development.