Effectiveness of the Federal State in the Context of a Coronavirus Pandemic

Abstract

Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 shock the entire world. Some countries with federal system have troubles, because the results of their functioning in the new conditions was inconsistent: some countries showed a low level of fatality from the coronavirus in general controlled the situation, but others had the highest incidence and in the background – the destabilization of the socio-economic and even political situation. The article analyzes the main trends of global development in the context of a pandemic, foreign and domestic experience of functioning of system of public authorities on federal, regional and local levels, measures to ensure the smooth operation of public authorities at all levels in a pandemic, as well as problems in the functioning of public authorities in the new conditions. This allows us to conclude that federal state system, on the one hand, has its advantages in countering these threats, including the possibility of a differentiated approach to different territories, well-established mechanisms of interaction between the levels of public power, and, on the other hand, it is characterized by a some types of risks, such as an imbalance of power, authority and resources in the federal system and a lag in making the necessary decision. It may be the reason of sharp decline in the pace of socio-economic development and the situation in the regions out of the control of the federal authorities. In the context of a pandemic, there are certain problems associated with insufficient coordination between levels of government, but they can be overcome through the use of various management mechanisms.