Towards a Russia of the Regions

Russia''s state system has changed significantly since 1991, but the question of how the country should be governed has not been answered. Russia''s constitutional framework is weak and inherently flawed, and the balance of political and economic power between the centre and the regions is ill-defined. In the absence of a firm constitutional settlement, regional elites have consolidated power, restricting the growth of local democracy and frustrating attempts at graass-roots economic reform. This book argues that establishing an effective and regulated relationship between the centre and the regions requires greater decentralisation, but devolution need not threaten Russia''s integrity if it is transparent and based on a greater respect for the rule of law.