Analysis of practices of local government in the framework of modern regional policy

The paper discusses practices of local government in one of the regions of the Russian Federation, the Nizhny Novgorod Region, associated with the transition from holding direct general elections of municipal heads to their election from deputies corps, from the "strong mayor" model to the "city manager" one. The conclusion is drawn that the urban policy on local societies is a tool for the implementation of the vital interests of the population and, with proper leadership, helps to mitigate the imbalances in social and economic development of cities, focuses citizens on the needs of their arrangement.