Constitutional Regulation of Planning in Russia: History, Modernity, Prospects

The article provides a historical overview of the evolution of state planning on the basis of domestic constitutional acts of the 20th century. The study identifies three key ways of capturing provisions on state planning in the Soviet period legislation: 1) ‘horizontal’ distribution of powers between state bodies and ‘vertical’ distribution of powers between levels of government; 2) establishment of state planning as the basis of national economic life and as a constitutional principle; 3) institutionalization of state planning as an independent object of constitutional regulation. Despite the absence of planning elements in the current RF Constitution, the Soviet experience may be relevant for improving the emerging system of strategic planning. Establishing planning mechanisms at the constitutional level will contribute to the stability and balance of the state development, to the adoption of effective, controllable and long-term decisions, to the protection of economic and social rights of citizens. The first of the mentioned ways seems to me most worthy of implementation, as far as it allows to distribute powers between state bodies and strengthen the role of the parliament in the planning processes, as well as provides for the opportunity to assign planning to the joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the RF constituent entities and to the issues of local significance.