Vol. 6 No. 1 (2014)

The main purpose of the research is consideration of federalism as a normative theory of relations within the society and/or state structure in the evolution of the world foreign scientific idea of federalism; determination of the role and importance of local bodies of power in federative states in certain historical conditions; substantiation of processes concerning emergence of “new” types of federalism theories, complication of intergovernmental relations and control.

In the article the author considers proposals on reformation of local self-government in the Russian federation introduced by the Institute of social-economic and political research in December 2013. Aimed at scaling down of local self-government in urban and municipal districts, they caused a patchy response in the Russian society.

Objective. To study principles of cooperation between local self-government and mass media. Methods. The author used such methods as: a traditional studying method of cause-and-effect relations, analysis and synthesis method which allowed finding out the general and the particular in the problem of cooperation between local self-government and mass media, a method of scientific abstraction which is necessary for making an ideal model of relations among various political subjects. Results. Proceeding from the available data on principles of relations between local self-government and mass media, on the basis of scientifically substantiated approaches and expert evaluation and own conclusions, the author researched the mechanism of relations between local self-government and mass media. Using the examples of traditional cooperation the author also makes a conclusion about the existing disagreement in the actions of local self-government and mass media. Scientific novelty. The author researched local self-government and mass media interaction, found out common aims and tasks towards citizens, introduced a possible program of joint actions based on brand new understanding of peculiarities in cooperation of local self-government and mass media.

In the article the author introduces a new approach in the study of municipal servants’ responsibility research of its status component. According to the author, consideration of the status responsibility is an essential component of effective realization of the following stages for an administrative reform. The author makes an effort to represent theoretical aspects of status responsibility of municipal servants on the basis of the existing ideas about social responsibility. Elements of the notion of status responsibility are represented in a critical form in terms of realization in the practice of municipal management.

Objective. Identification and qualitative assessment of dynamics of development data of inter-municipal cooperation on the all-Russian level. Methods. The research is based on the methods of an economic-statistical analysis (average and relative quantities, social-economic dynamics analysis, and degree of “presence”). Results and practical importance. The author identification of trends characterizing participation of the RF municipal entities in various forms of inter-municipal cooperation, including: inter-municipal entities, inter-municipal commercial and non-commercial organizations. The author makes a comparison of the data of municipal cooperation development on the all-Russian level and the level of the federal districts. The obtained results can be used practically for substantiation of the offers concerning the administrative barriers removal for development of inter-municipal cooperation in the RF. Scientific novelty. Dependence between the type of a municipal entity and the activity rate of its participation in various forms of inter-municipal cooperation has been determined. Spatial specificity of inter-municipal cooperation extension in view of federal districts has been revealed. Absence of direct dependence between the level of economic development of the RF subject and the participation degree of its municipalities in inter-municipal commercial organizations has been substantiated.

Objective: study and substantiation of peculiarities of strategic planning in the RF big municipal entities. Methods: as a basic method a systematic, functional and complex analysis of strategic plans of social-economic development of municipal entities is used. Results and sphere of application: in the article a specific approach to the organization of strategic planning in municipal entities with about one million people is substantiated. Scientific novelty: dual nature of strategic planning in municipal government is substantiated. It can be considered both as a system which requires arrangement and structuring and a process possessing features of consistence and cyclicity.

Objective. Study of the “municipal standard” compounds as a mechanism aimed at formation of comforting conditions for starting and running business on the territory of a municipal entity, and the analysis of the available practices on the development of such a document. Methods. An analysis of the existing practice for organization of a regional system affecting the improvement of investment climate in the region and investment capacity building has been conducted. Viability of regional measures transference to the municipal level has been analysed. Results. The results of the conducted analysis have shown that the measures on business climate improvement on a municipal level in general can correspond to the general policy carried out in the region. However, developing recommendations on improvement of municipal investment attractiveness it is important to take into account distinctive features of historical and social-economic character determining a wide typology of municipal entities on the territory of the Russian Federation. Scientific novelty. Scientific novelty is to study ways of improvement of investment climate on a municipal level within the framework of a single document development Standard standardizing the activity of local self-government in that sphere.

The author of the article draws a comparative analysis of the key strategic documents of Sverdlovsk region and its biggest cities determining development priorities of regional and local consumer markets aimed to identify the degree of their coordination, coherence and consistence. The author proposes specific application tools for updating the strategic development of the local consumer markets.

Objective. Study of peculiarities concerning the system of urban settlements development in the Urals economic region in XX century in the terms of All-Russian modernization policy. Methods. Using the data of the population census of the current record of demographic events State statistics bodies have grouped the cities within the boarders of regions and republics UER, carried out a comparative analysis of population dynamics in the cities in the pre-war period and the 2 nd half of XX century. Results. Analysis of the results of the six All-Union inventories and All-Union inventory of 2002 allowed to trace the dynamics of the Urals cities development, distinctive features of urban settlements development in dynamics for 100 years, regional peculiarities of urbanization processes specified by gradual industrialization of regions and republics of the region. Scientific novelty. Formation of the system of cities, inter-regional differences in modes of urbanization are considered within the context of historical and social-economic development of regional territories. Urban processes in the Urals have been realized according to the All-Russian modernization model, which realization contributed to the concentration and integration of various forms and types of material and spiritual activity. Growth of urban population was realized mainly at the cost of territorial migration of population, which scale, directions and character were considered within the context of the migration transition theory.

The questions of characterization of the role of a higher educational institution in the conditions of the "average" city, as one of the major institutes defining the vector of social and economic development of municipality, promoting formation of "growth points" of the territory on the basis of the use of the intellectual and creative potential of the population are considered in the article. The analysis of the social and cultural activity of the higher education institution on the example of Shadrinsk teachers' training institute is carried out on the basis of the use of methods of the content analysis and the sociological inquiry of students, the main motivational installations of studying youth are defined, the reasons of their desire to leave after study for other residence are allocated, the main perspective activities of the higher education institution as social institute are defined.

In the article the author has systematized scattered materials devoted to the development of the first urban business-incubators in Russia and analysis of the modern state of the given sphere conducted by interviewing employees and directors of the functioning BI.

Objective. Development of the monitoring system for realization of brand-activities on the educational market of the biggest city. Methods. During the development of the monitoring system methods of sociological polls of professionals in the sphere of higher professional training were applied. Results. Necessity of carrying out activities on brand development for a higher educational establishment in modern conditions of professional training market oversaturation and demand for efficiency control in the process of implementation of the developed activities aimed at correcting the selected directions of marketing development have been substantiated. Scientific novelty. Monitoring system of branding efficiency for higher educational establishments in five main directions with identification of people responsible has been developed.