ABSTRACT
Regional politics are extremely diverse, both in type of governmental system and in regime characteristics. Most republics have a president, whereas most oblasts have a governor. The legislative bodies in each region (the collective term we shall use to describe Russia’s eighty-nine federal units) are also composed in diverse ways and have different powers, stipulated by regional constitutions and charters. As for the political characteristics, some regions are relatively democratic, whereas in others authoritarian regimes have emerged. All took advantage of the weakness of the centre under Yeltsin to seize powers and a degree of sovereignty that in certain cases posed a threat to the continued existence of the Russian state. Instead of an effectively integrated federal system, a type of segmented regionalism emerged. Yeltsin managed regional affairs by a mix of concessions and personal contacts, whereas under Putin regional laws and statutes were made to conform with the Russian constitution, and normative acts and powers of regional actors in national politics were curbed. The debate continues over whether Putin’s reforms represented the development of federalism or its repudiation in favour of traditional Russian centralism. Local government, meanwhile, remained a relatively neglected area, over-shadowed by the powerful regional bosses and limited by inadequate funding.
