Exclusivity of federal states and modern theory of federalism

Ivan Romaykin

UDC

341.213.4

VAK Russia

5.1.1

EXCLUSIVITY OF FEDERAL STATES AND MODERN THEORY OF FEDERALISM Exclusivity of federal states and modern theory of federalism

АА Аа

Published in Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia · Pages 10–21 · Rubric: Theoretical and historical legal sciences

Received: 05.11.2025 Accepted: 12.02.2026 Published: 30.03.2026 Language of publication: RUS

Authors

Ivan Romaykin

ORCID

Ivan Romaykin

Academic degree: candidate of jurisprudence sciences

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «National Research Ogarev Mordovia State University» Russian Federation · Saransk

ORCID

ABSTRACT

Introduction. Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, on December 26, 1933, established the legal status of federal states in international relations, constituting a sole entity in the eyes of international law. It is an irrefutable fact that federations have always been a specific subject of international relations, due to their state structure. Simultaneously, despite the pervasive prevalence of the federal form of state structure in the modern world and the active involvement of numerous leading federal states in international relations, the meaning of the term “exclusivity of federal states” remains ambiguous. However, the peculiarities of the legal nature and state-territorial structure of federations, which impact both the internal structure of the system of power and governance and their external relations, highlight the significance of this theme. The present article examines a theoretical analysis of the concept of “exclusivity of federal states”. The study is based on a range of sources, including the constitutional acts of federal states, international treaties, and the research of domestic experts on various aspects of the theory and practice of federalism. In preparing this work, the author also used the findings of his own analysis of federal states. Methods. In analysing the concept of “exclusivity” in the context of federal states, the author viewed a federation as a special form of governance structure and state power. This implies that the constituent entities within the federation possess public legal status, which entails a dual-tier power structure of state and federal relations. The manner in which this public principle is expressed within the legal framework of the federation’s territorial structure constitutes the core content of the concept of “the exclusivity of federal states”. The methodological basis of the study encompassed formal-legal, comparative-legal, historical methods, and a systemic-structural approach. Results. The exclusivity of federal states is characterised by a legal feature, which is associated with the specifics of their internal state structure. This structure is based on the public regional principle (the internal public status of the constituent entities of federation). The concept “exclusivity of federal states” manifests in various forms of external representation, which can be categorized into three key conditions: the participation of the federation (or federations) in international relations, the transformation of the state-territorial structure of federal states, and the establishment of international or integration alliances and organisations. Simultaneously, in all forms of external representation of federal exclusivity, the legal status of the constituent entities of federation (regions) plays a pivotal role. The analysis of the legal exclusivity of federations also revealed additional nuances of “supranationality” concept, which in this context are linked to the concept of statehood.

KEYWORDS

the federative state, Montevideo Convention, exclusivity of the federative states, constituent entities of a federal state, Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Union State of Russia and Belarus, legal status of the Kaliningrad region, post-Soviet space, supranationality of statehood

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GOST

Romaykin I. A. Exclusivity of federal states and modern theory of federalism // Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. 2026. no. 1. pp. 10-21. (Date of access 07.09.2026).

MLA

Ivan Romaykin. "Exclusivity of federal states and modern theory of federalism." Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia 2026.1 (2026): 10-21.

APA

Romaykin I. A. (2026). Exclusivity of federal states and modern theory of federalism. Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, 2026(1), 10-21.

Chicago

Ivan Romaykin. "Exclusivity of federal states and modern theory of federalism." Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia 2026, no. 1 (2026): 10-21.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Romaykin I. A. | title = Exclusivity of federal states and modern theory of federalism | journal = Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia | year = 2026 | volume = 2026 | issue = 1 | pages = 10-21 }}

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