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How Does Russian Federalism Work? Looking at Internal Borders in the Russian Federation

ABSTRACT The article examines the internal borders of the Russian Federation as a way of gaining greater understanding of the functioning of Russian federalism. With its huge territorial expanse, Russia seeks to achieve a dominant position in Eurasia. The mode of organization of Russian space can either facilitate or hinder this ambition. Formally Russia is a federation, but the practices of center-regional relations do not correspond with classical models of federalism. Analyzing whether the internal borders of the federation act in ways typical of federations in general sheds light on both the nature of federations, and the question of whether Russia is a true federation. After discussion of a number of accounts of the way borders work in a federation, the article looks at the institutional design of the Russian Federation in the 1990s before proceeding to examine the regional reforms of Vladimir Putin in the 2000s from the perspective of federal borders.