"Rural Agglomerations” and "Rural Associations of Settlements” — Possible Directions for the Development of Local Self-Government in the North-West of Russia

The problem of improving the effectiveness of local self-government in the Russian Federation is particularly complex. Geographical and historical prerequisites work against economic efficiency and proportional political representation. The concepts of rural agglomerations and rural associations of human settlements can be considered as search directions in the search for a solution to the problem of “efficiency or equality”. The North-West of Russia can be considered as an effective training ground for the development of new management approaches.