When wondering who exercises state power in the Russian Federation, one needs to know what state power is. State power is the ability of state structures to subordinate the behavior of citizens of the country using the coercive apparatus. State power is exercised by three branches independent of each other: legislative, judicial and executive. It should be noted that in Russia, the President of the Russian Federation is above these branches and is the guarantor of the Constitution and ensures stability in government structures.
Levels of government
State power is exercised at two levels, namely at the federal and regional. Federal state power in the Russian Federation is exercised by the Federal Assembly, federal ministries and departments, the Government of the Russian Federation, as well as the Constitutional and Supreme Courts. The system of regional government bodies is not much different from federal bodies.
State power at the level of constituent entities in the Russian Federation is exercised by state assemblies, legislative assemblies, governments in the republics, the administration of the city hall, regional ministries, departments, as well as constitutional courts in the republics, statutory courts in other constituent entities of the Russian Federation and magistrates.
Executive branch
The most important decisions are made, of course, at the federal level. But in this matter, most people “swim”, if you want to list which government agency performs a certain function. So, many people mistakenly believe that the State Duma exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. In fact, this is not so at all. Executive power in the Russian Federation is exercised by the Government of the Russian Federation, which is the highest executive body. Its function is to ensure the interaction of executive structures.
In addition, the Government of the Russian Federation manages the main sectors of the economy, social and cultural life of society, as well as the administrative and political side of activity. For example, the Government is engaged in the development of the federal budget and ensures its implementation; it manages the federal structure of its own country. Ensuring measures to protect public order, by the way, also lies on the shoulders of members of the Government of the Russian Federation.
Legislature
Legislative power in the Russian Federation is exercised by the Federal Assembly, which is the bicameral parliament of the Russian Federation, i.e., the representative and legislative body. Unlike the Government of the Russian Federation, which is formed at the discretion of the President, the Federal Assembly is predominantly elected by the citizens themselves in the elections. The upper chamber of the Federal Assembly is the Federation Council, and the lower is the State Duma. The subjects of common jurisdiction of the two chambers are: discussion and adoption of laws of the Russian Federation, the adoption of the federal budget, issues of peace and war, issues of protection and the status of state borders, ratification of international treaties. But both the Federation Council and the State Duma carry out their own functions for each chamber. Thus, the State Duma approves the candidacy of the Chairman of the Government put forward by the President of the Russian Federation. Also, the State Duma is responsible for resolving the issue of no confidence in the Government.
The Federation Council is engaged in the establishment of state borders between subjects of the country, approves decrees of the President on the introduction of martial law within the country, decides on the use of the Armed Forces of the country outside the Russian Federation, as well as some other issues.
Judicial branch
When it comes to who exercises state power in the Russian Federation, one cannot but say about the judiciary. The judicial power in the Russian Federation at the federal level is exercised by the Constitutional and Supreme Courts. While the Supreme Court is a court of general jurisdiction, that is, it is in charge of criminal, civil and administrative cases, the Constitutional Court is engaged in constitutional proceedings, that is, it exercises constitutional review.
The president
So, who exercises state power in the Russian Federation? Separately, it should be said about the President of the Russian Federation. He heads the state, which means that he represents the country in the international arena, as well as directly within the country. In addition, he is the guarantor of the Constitution, determines the direction of foreign and even domestic policy and, finally, coordinates the work of state authorities. For example, the appointment of the Prime Minister (with the approval of the Duma) is also the responsibility of the President.
In addition, the President has the right to veto parliamentary decisions, has the right to annul government decisions if they contradict the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The President, by the way, can dissolve the State Duma if it rejected the candidacy of the Prime Minister three times.
The role of the President in foreign policy, of course, is not limited to the mere representation of the country. The President may also appoint and recall ambassadors to foreign countries. It is also important that the President is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the country. In this regard, he approves the military doctrine of the Russian Federation.
Why do we need to know who exercises state power in the Russian Federation? At least then, that competence in this matter will allow you to better understand the mechanisms of the state apparatus. Indeed, the fate of people depends on the actions of people in power, because it is they who issue the laws by which people are forced to live. Moreover, knowledge of the authority of government agencies can come in handy when a person does not know where to turn for help, as well as in order to avoid excessive bureaucratic red tape. Each person should know who are the sources of power in his country in order to be able to find those responsible for a particular law. And this, not to mention, the elections to the State Duma. After all, the voter must understand why he is choosing this or that candidate, and what consequences this will have for itself.