Transformation of Policy of the Southern Russian Regions Under the Conditions of External Shocks

Introduction. The need to respond to external shocks determines the adjustment of state policy in order to maintain a stable socio-economic situation in the regions. This study aims to determine how the political strategy of solving the problems of increasing political stability and economic security is changing in the regions in the face of growing economic pressure from Western countries, as well as evaluate the effectiveness of the measures taken. Methodology and methods. The object of the study was the Volgograd and Rostov regions. Research methods included: a systematic approach to the analysis of the economic policy of the region as an integral component of ensuring national security in the face of external shocks; context analysis of documents adopted by the legislative authorities of the regions in relation to the implementation of economic policy; and a comparative analysis of indicators of economic security in the regions. As indicators characterizing the effectiveness of economic policy measures, indicators of the economic security of the region, formed in the context of the goals and directions laid down in the Economic Security Strategy of the Russian Federation, were used. Analysis. The results of the analysis showed that, from the point of view of maintaining economic security, the measures to support capitalist relations associated with the increment of the total assets of the region showed the greatest effectiveness. At the same time, there is a clear shortage of state support instruments in the social sphere. Results. It was found that the political goals of the authorities in the face of increasing current shocks have shifted from “adaptation as a way of survival”, characteristic of the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, to “ensuring economic security through renewal.” At the same time, a significant role in the implementation of political strategies of public administration in the regions was assigned to new practices of subsidiarity with a focus on strengthening cooperation between authorities, local communities, and the private sector. It is concluded that the ways of adapting the South Russian regions to current challenges involve the further development of intra-regional interactions among a wide range of agents, with special attention to the role of formal and informal institutions in solving the problems of ensuring economic security. Authors’ contribution. I.V. Mitrofanova: development and substantiation of the concept, interpretation and generalization of research results, formulation of conclusions, design and editing of the manuscript; O.A. Chernova: formation of methodology, development of research design, context analysis of documents accepted by regional authorities, design and editing of the manuscript.