Legal Analysis of the Specifics of Implementing the Principle of Popular Sovereignty in a Federal State

Introduction. The issue of popular sovereignty is key in the theory of state and law, particularly in the context of federal structures. Federalism is a multi-level system of public authority with a distribution of powers between federal and regional institutions, which raises complex issues of delimitation of power and the legitimization of it’s intsitutions. In Russia, this topic is particularly important due to the historical specifics and diversity of regional practices, as well as the search for a balance between the unity of the state and the autonomy of its constituent entities. Methodology and materials. The research is based on an analysis of constitutional norms, judicial practice, scientific approaches to federalism, as well as historical and legal analysis of various models of the realization of national sovereignty in federal states. The materials used are regulatory legal acts of the federal level, judicial acts of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, regional legislation and scientific works of domestic authors, including those analyzing legal regulation and law enforcement practice of foreign countries, which allowed us to consider the problem from a multifaceted theoretical and historical perspective. Research results. The complexity and versatility of federal relations are revealed, characterized by the need for strict observance of the principle of unity of state sovereignty while maintaining a certain independence of the subjects of the federation. The article reveals the specifics of the mechanism for the implementation of democracy and the stages of its transformation in Russia, including the complex mechanism of legitimization of regional authorities. The author proves that sovereignty is indivisible and belongs to a single source of power - the people, despite regional peculiarities and variability of federalism models. Conclusions. The federal system requires balanced and adaptive legal models for the implementation of popular sovereignty, ensuring the unity of statehood and the autonomy of the subjects. In Russia, as a result of long-term and at the same time dynamic legislative reforms, a unique model of federalism has emerged, implying the possibility of using two different ways of legitimizing executive power at the regional level which are equivalent from the point of view of ensuring national sovereignty. The indivisibility of the sovereignty of the people as a single bearer of State power remains the fundamental basis for the sustainable functioning of the federal State and the prevention of fragmentation of the political space.