A Political Science Interpretation of the Principle of Checks and Balances in the Modern Russian System of Public Power

The article examines a political science interpretation of the principle of checks and balances in the context of the transformation of the system of public power in the Russian Federation. The relevance of the study is determined by the constitutional amendments of 2020, which introduced the concept of a unified system of public power and changed the institutional logic of interaction between different levels and branches of government. The aim of the article is to identify the political functions of checks and balances beyond their traditional legal interpretation and to analyse their role as a mechanism of coordination, stabilisation and redistribution of power resources. The research is based on institutional and systems analysis as well as elements of comparative political science. It is demonstrated that in modern Russia checks and balances operate not only through formal legal constraints but also through informal mechanisms of interest coordination, elite integration and vertical governance instruments. The article concludes that checks and balances function as an element of the political system ensuring its stability and manageability within a multi-level structure of public power.