Russia's Presidential Districts: A Governor's View  F. Joseph
Dresen  We are "concerned that recently our country was divided
into seven federal districts," declared Mikhail Prusak,
Governor, Novgorod' Oblast, at a 7 February 2002 Director's
Forum at the Woodrow Wilson Center. While the idea may have
seemed attractive at the time, argued Prusak, it actually
represents a return to the ideas and practices of the Soviet era
and will eventually weaken rather than strengthen the state.
During the 1990s, Russia's regions gained considerable autonomy
in setting their own economic and development policies. Prusak
described how, for over a decade, his administration promoted
the economic development of the Novgorod region without help or
hindrance from Moscow, instead focusing on attracting foreign
investment with tax incentives and progressive policies. "For
over ten years," according to Prusak, "the Novgorod region has
been able to shed 50 percent of central government subsidies--
even without oil or gas. Our only n