Division of powers between the authorities of different territorial levels: the problem of centralization and decentralization

The core of the approach chosen to divide powers and jurisdictions between bodies of power is the quality of state governance on the scale of the Federative State as a whole and its composing systems. Evaluation of the worked out criteria, ways, principles and mechanisms of the division of powers and jurisdictions that have been used in Federative practice, points to the rooted legislative model of regulating powers division which is exceedingly centralist by its nature. The article considers modern trends in making a division of powers between authorities of the Russian Federation, between bodies of power of the RF subjects, and local municipal bodies of public administration. An attempt has been made to reveal the problems that hamper developing federative ways in governing. With these ideas in view, the article criticizesthe current federal and regional legislature of the Russian Federation and makes proposals on its optimization as well. For once, it makes a conclusion that intricate work should be done to draw up a fullinventory of federal and regional legislative branches. It is necessary to define how much the powers of local public administrations correspond the questions of local importance provided by the Federal law "On general principles of the organization of local public administration in the Russian Federation"; to precise the amount and substance of the relevant powers; to withdraw extra and irrelevant to municipalities powers; to exclude assigning equal or similar powers to authorities of different levels simultaneously. Besides, it is necessary to work out criteria and to determine limits to delegating federal and regional state powersto local bodies of public administration.