TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT TRENDS IN THE RUSSIAN REGIONS AND ABROAD

Abstract

Purpose. Identifying features of the local government territorial organization changes in Russia at the level of municipalities and urban districts. Methods. Information and methodological foundation is based on the research part of the official statistical data of Federal State Statistic Service, materials Municipal Development Agency, the All-Russian Council of the local government, overseas study Local Government and Public Service Initiative, OSI (Budapest). Results. Author researches aims, objectives of territorial reforms implemented in Russia. Based on the analysis the author makes a conclusion about unsystematic and territorial fragmentation ongoing reforms in Russia. The necessity of the development of regional strategies for changing territorial organization of local self-government was proved. Author identifies the most preferred targets of territorial transformations. Based on the analysis of foreign experience two basic approaches to the determination of the optimal size of the municipality were defined, also a trend of consolidation of municipalities in Europe and America in the last five years was marked. Scientific novelty. A classification of municipal and urban districts territorial transformations models, used in Russia. Author worked out the recommendations on the use of domestic and foreign experience consolidation of municipalities to create conditions for strengthening the financial and economic foundations of local government in the region and capacity building of independent stimulation of territorial development.