Issues of defining the functions of local self-government 

Alexei R. Eremin, Doctor of juridical sciences, professor, head of the sub-department of theory and history of state and law, Ogarev Mordovia State University (68 Bolshevistskaya street, Saransk, Russia), E-mail: eralro@mail.ru 

Background. The article is devoted to the study of the local self-government functions. The place of local self-government in the system of public power of the Russian Federation is shown. It is noted that local self-government as a special form of public authority has its own special functions. It is proved that local self-government has the function of decentralization and, accordingly, builds its own special system of local government. A special function in the activity of local self-government is considered, formulated as the democratization of the implementation of this level of public power. The existence of an important function of local self-government, referred to as the expression and protection of the interests of the population of municipalities, is substantiated. The purpose of the research is to study the problems of determining the functions of local self-government. Materials and methods. The study uses dialectical, formal-legal, logical and other methods of cognition. Results. The organization of the successful functioning of local self-government is of paramount importance in the political activities of public authorities. The State takes an active part in this process. Todayʼs reform of the entire system of government in the state, the consolidation in the Constitution of the Russian Federation of the unified system of public power in Russia represents the need to rethink both the content of the local level of government – local self-government, and the reform of relations between all levels of public power, in particular, the relationship between state power and local self-government. The functions considered in this article should be taken into account by the legislator when forming a new model of public power in Russia, where local self-government based on the principle of decentralization should be given rather close attention, since it is it that embodies true democracy and where society finds acceptable models for organizing its life. Local self-government should become a real element of public rule in the Russian Federation. Conclusions. In the public system of government, local self-government bodies are structurally separate, endowed with their own scope of authority and independent in resolving issues of local importance in the relevant municipal territory. As a constitutional institution, local self-government is a participant in various significant spheres of life, in particular, ideological, material and social. And like any other institution of constitutional law, it has its own direct purpose in solving socially significant tasks. Local self-government, as if it did not have its own independence, is a continuation at the local level of a single public authority in the state. Local self-government within the framework of public authority is separate from state administration, it is an independent self-governing subsystem, which is characterized by decentralization. A special function in the activities of local self-government is the democratization of the implementation of this level of public power. According to the level of organization, local self-government is a kind of autonomy, where, in addition to organizing peopleʼs lives, culture, history of development are preserved, the established way of life and other local features of living are developing. An important function of local self-government is the expression and protection of the interests of the population of municipalities. 

local self-government, state power, public power, decentralization, democratization, population, municipal formation 

Eremin A.R. Issues of defining the functions of local self-government. Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Povolzhskiy region. Obshchestvennye nauki = University proceedings. Volga region. Social sciences. 2022;(2):133–143. (In Russ.). doi:10.21685/2072-3016-2022-2-12