Counter-majoritarian mechanisms in local self-government: a view from Russia

• Sergey Solovev South Ural State University (National Research University) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9314-8538
• Olga Pastukhova South Ural State University (National Research University) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0057-8155
• Elena Sumina South Ural State University (National Research University) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7630-1203

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46398/cuestpol.3970.57

Keywords: local self-government, counter-majority mechanisms, counter-majoritarian legal constructions, participatory democracy, Russian experience of local government

Abstract

Through a documentary methodology, the article analyzes the main theoretical, practical, and problematic legal issues related to the functioning of the counter-majority mechanisms existing in the Russian local self-government system. The study proposes a set of legal measures aimed at improving the content
of existing counter-majoritarian legal structures and seeks at the same time to introduce new ones to bring Russian municipal legislation into place to bring Russian municipal legislation into place. It is concluded that the thesis of the system of tyranny of the majority (majority democracy) at the local level cannot be recognized as a democratic and stable legal structure for the application of local self-government. Around the world, there is a fairly long process of replacing the concept of majority democracy with the concept of participatory democracy that involves the interaction of all population groups and the search for compromises between different social communities, through a balance of respect and recognition of memories of all kinds.

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