Ten Yardsticks of Federal Conflict Regulation and their Application to Russia

There is sharp controversy over the pros and cons of federalism as a means of regulating or escalating conflicts in deeply divided societies. Successful conflict regulation depends on the institutional minutiae of a given federation and its interdependence with other parts of the political regime. The various guises assumed by federalism in Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 demonstrate that the survival of a federation, particularly one based on ethnic principles, depends on the adherence to federal norms, the functioning of democratic institutions, effective conflict-regulation devices, and political parties that reflect federal cleavages.