ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the structure, institutions and development of Russian federalism. It examines the relationship between nationality and federalism. The chapter analyses Vladimir Putin's strengthening of the power vertical and it introduces local government. Federalism is better suited to the sheer geographical scale of Russia. The existence of the nationality-based republics assumes a link between a nationality and a particular geographical area, but just as over centuries ethnic Russian's moved across the Eurasian landmass so did Russia's other peoples. The 2003 law was also part of Putin's strengthening of the power vertical, as it formally subordinated local government into the government hierarchy below the federal and republican-regional levels. In the 1990s district and local government was not a priority and lacked a coherent approach or structure. The creation of a single system of local government was also complicated by disputes between the regional leaders on the one hand and the heads of the local government on the other.
