A federal state is by far the most acceptable form of state-territorial structure of large states or states in which the population is located on a national basis.
Today, scientists do not give a unified definition of a federal state, however, having analyzed most of the positions, this type of state can be defined as a complex union state consisting of two or more administrative territories united by a single center on the basis of the Constitution. As a rule, such a state is characterized by certain signs:
- distribution of power - the “center" and the subjects of the federation stipulate in the Constitution their competence in solving state problems;
- dividing the legal system into a federal one (mandatory for all citizens of the country) and a system of constituent entities of the federation (operating only on the territory of a constituent entity of the federation);
- the supremacy of the central legal system over the system of the subject of the federation;
- bicameralism - the interests of the subjects of the federation are represented in the upper house of parliament;
- the lack of subjects of the federation the right to leave the federation;
- The principle of dual citizenship is the citizenship of the federation and the subject.
A federal state today is characteristic of 24 countries, including Switzerland, the USA, Brazil, Canada and Russia. All of them were created in three main ways: the transition from a confederation to a federation on a contractual basis, or the transition from a unitary state to a federation.
Unitary and federal state .
The debate about which form of administrative-territorial structure is better has been going on among lawyers for several years. As a rule, each of the scientists brings his arguments in favor of one form or another. A unitary state is an acceptable form for small states on which one nation resides. The territory in this case is divided into areas that are subject to the legal regime established by the central government. The experience of modern states shows that the unitary form is also suitable for multinational states in which public authorities can ensure their unity.
A federal state is suitable for states in which the union occurred on a national, territorial or economic interest. In this case, the federal center regulates general issues of public life, providing the subjects of the federation to solve specific issues that arise in the process of administering a particular subject of the federation. A federal state can be an ideal solution for states that are unitary and in a state of “frozen conflict”. True, in this case, it is worthwhile to determine in advance the type of federation - centralized (center - strong, subject - weak) or decentralized (center sets the general concept of development, the subject decides all other issues).
Unitary and federal states are by far the most common forms of administrative-state structure. This situation is understandable, because it is these two forms of government that are ideal for building a rule of law state.
Russia is a federal state .
For a country as diverse in economic and nationality as Russia, a federal form of state-territorial structure is the best option.
The formation of Russia as a federation was due to the historical development process. However, the leading role in this process is played by the 1993 Constitution, in which lawmakers took into account the experience of their predecessors and granted the subjects of the federation fairly broad rights. So, according to the text of the initial Constitution, Russia was a decentralized federation. But over the past 10 years, a tendency toward the creation of a centralized federation has been clearly visible. Such a transition is connected with the large territory and multinational composition of the country's population, the control of which is determined by the need to eliminate secession processes before they theoretically arise in Russia. A federal state for a given period of time meets the conditions for the normal functioning of the Russian Federation, both from a legal and economic-social point of view.