The main tendencies of local self-government democratic modernization

The article discusses the features of democratic modernization processes at the level of local self-government (LSG) in Germany and Russia. The author attempts to generalize experience of economically developed countries in the development of effective models of self-government on the basis of compara- tive approach. It is important to analyze the two types of modernization, organic and inorganic, at the macroeconomic level, and specifics of practices of self-government in both Western Europe and in Russia in historical aspect. Specific features of Russian modernization as catching up or lagging are characterized. Historical stages of LSG modernization are analyzed. The au- thor especially considers the period of “perestroika” of the 1990s, when the revival and modernization of the LSG system was carried out on the basis of the experience of developed countries in the framework of global democratic social processes. At the same time, special attention is focused on deep socio- cultural traditions, original roots, on the concepts of community, solidarity, peace, social harmony of the Russian modernization of local self-government. The article presents an analysis of Western European democratic structural modernization as a reflection of the progressive social processes of the world socio-political system. The author investigates the transformation of the local authorities of Germany - both in the western and eastern federal lands. Par- ticular attention is paid to the distinctive features of the German communal self-government for applying the latest management practices and determin- ing the optimal model for reforming local self-government in Russia. Understanding the experience of modernizing local governments in countries with advanced market economies that have a dominant impact on world economic processes, where different models of self-management have al- ready proved their effectiveness, viability and time-tested, is the purpose of the article. In this connection, it is of particular interest to consider the experi- ence of the Germany, since both Russia and Germany are federal, democratic and social states.