Vavilov N.S. Role of civil society in ensuring publicity of local government

Abstract: The article considers the main legal mechanisms of ensuring publicity and transparency of local government, possessed by the civil society institutions according to the current legislation. The author outlines several problems of information coverage of local governments’ activities; points at the lack of legal regulation of electronic municipalities on the local level. On the base of the analysis of federal and municipal legislation, the author proposes specific legislative and organizational measures, aimed at the improvement of publicity and legitimacy of local governments. The author applies general philosophical and general scientific methods of cognition (comparative-legal, formal-legal and theoretical and prognostic). The novelty of the study consists in the explanation of interconnection between publicity and the activity of the civil society on municipal level; in confirming the influence of the non-governmental sector on the level of transparency of municipal bodies. The author proposes the amendments to the Federal Law “On the general principles of local government organization in Russia”, and the Federal Law “On the principles of public control in the Russian Federation”, enhancing the dialogue between local governments and the civil society. 

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