Key Vectors of Regional Economic Policy: Expectations and Reality

Abstract

The article investigates the structure of regional economic policy in historical context, from first years of market economy development in Russia to the current period of passing-over to digital economy. On the basis of dialectical method, system approach, practical analytical instruments, method of experts’ estimation reasons and consequences of evolution changes in regional economic policy were analyzed. Factors influencing the nature of social and economic processes on sub-national level were studied. The article shows today’s trends of space development characterized by the objective global process of raising the role of agglomeration in speeding-up economic growth, increasing labour productivity, incomes and standard of living of the population. Long-term prospects of development and functioning of rural territories were not evaluated adequately, though they play one of the key roles in growing geo-political influence of Russia in the world. Detail study of the theoretical base of regional economics allowed us to substantiate the issue of shifting the focus in managing the territorial development to macro-regional level and in this connection to renew instruments used for analytical purposes. By analyzing the home practice of state regulation a conclusion was drawn about the necessity to set up a specialized state structure for observing the process of strengthening the role of macro-regions and efficiency of shaping the adequate bodies of power to manage the space social and economic development.

Keywords

• regional economic policy
• state regulation
• agglomeration building
• rural territories
• sub-national level
• macro-regional management