State Duma of the Federal Assembly
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| State Duma of the Federal Assembly | |
|---|---|
| Name | State Duma of the Federal Assembly |
| Native name | Государственная дума Федерального Собрания |
| Legislature | Federal Assembly of Russia |
| House type | Lower house |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Leader1 type | Chairman |
| Leader1 | Vyacheslav Volodin |
| Members | 450 |
| Voting system | Mixed-member parallel voting |
| Last election | 2021 Russian legislative election |
| Meeting place | State Duma building, Moscow |
State Duma of the Federal Assembly is the lower chamber of the Federal Assembly, the national legislature situated in Moscow. Established after the 1993 constitutional crisis, it functions within the constitutional framework drafted in the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis and the Constitution of Russia. As Russia's principal federal legislative body it interacts with entities such as the Federation Council (Russia) and the President of Russia while overseeing federal lawmaking, budget approval, and governmental oversight in coordination with institutions like the Government of Russia and the Judicial system of Russia.
History
The origins trace to the post-Soviet transition following the dissolution of the Supreme Soviet of Russia and the 1993 standoff involving Boris Yeltsin and the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation. Early sessions featured deputies from factions linked to figures such as Gennady Zyuganov, Boris Nemtsov, Viktor Chernomyrdin, and Grigory Yavlinsky, reflecting alignments with parties including the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and Yabloko (political party). Reforms during the 1990s introduced mixed electoral systems influenced by models from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, while legislative practice evolved alongside landmark laws like the Bankruptcy Law of Russia and the Land Code of the Russian Federation. The 2000s saw consolidation under dominant parties including United Russia, linked to leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, and institutional changes influenced by events such as the 2003 Russian legislative election and the 2007 Russian legislative election reforms. International incidents, including disputes over the Crimea annexation and sanctions involving the European Union and the United States, have affected legislative priorities and membership dynamics.
Composition and Electoral System
The Duma comprises 450 deputies elected through a mixed system combining single-member constituencies and party-list proportional representation, drawing comparisons with systems used in Japan and Poland. Parties such as United Russia, Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, and A Just Russia — For Truth typically secure major blocks. Electoral legislation and thresholds have been shaped by statutes including the Federal Law on Basic Guarantees and influenced by decisions of the Central Election Commission of Russia. Deputies represent federal subjects like Moscow Oblast, Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar Krai, and Sakhalin Oblast and may form parliamentary groups akin to those in the Bundestag or Sejm of the Republic of Poland.
Powers and Functions
Constitutional powers include adopting federal constitutional laws, ordinary federal laws, approving the federal budget, and overseeing federal executive appointments such as the Chairman of the Government of Russia nomination. The Duma exercises confirmation roles involving the Prosecutor General of Russia and interacts with the Central Bank of Russia on financial legislation. It may initiate impeachment proceedings related to the President of Russia under constitutional procedures and participates in treaty ratification processes alongside the Federation Council (Russia). The Duma's authority is exercised within frameworks set by the Constitution of Russia, prior jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court of Russia, and legal instruments like the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Legislative Process
Legislation typically originates from deputies, the President of Russia, the Federation Council (Russia), regional legislatures of subjects such as Tatarstan or Bashkortostan, and the Government of Russia. Bills undergo first, second, and third readings with committee referral, expert testimony, and amendments, comparable in procedure to legislative stages in the European Parliament and the U.S. House of Representatives. After passage, laws require concurrence by the Federation Council (Russia), signature by the President of Russia, and publication in sources like Rossiyskaya Gazeta for enactment. High-profile laws include those concerning the Civil Code of Russia and the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation reforms.
Leadership and Organization
The Duma is presided over by a Chairman elected by deputies, with deputies such as the First Deputy Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen overseeing plenary scheduling and procedure; notable chairmen have included Boris Gryzlov and Sergey Naryshkin. Administrative organs include the Duma Apparatus and procedural councils analogous to those in the House of Commons or the Sejm, and the institution coordinates with the Presidential Administration of Russia on agenda-setting. The Speaker manages plenary sessions in the State Duma building on Okhotny Ryad, with security and protocol conducted alongside agencies such as the Federal Protective Service (Russia).
Committees and Factions
Standing committees cover domains like budget, international affairs, constitutional legislation, and defense, echoing committee systems in legislatures such as the U.S. Senate and the Canadian House of Commons. Key committees have jurisdiction over legislation touching the Ministry of Finance (Russia), Ministry of Defence (Russia), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia), and the Ministry of Justice (Russia). Deputies organize into factions representing parties and caucuses similar to those in the Knesset; these factions shape agenda-setting, amendments, and confirmations. Interparliamentary groups link the Duma with legislatures such as the National People's Congress and the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Interaction with Other State Bodies
The Duma engages with the Federation Council (Russia), the President of Russia, and the Government of Russia in lawmaking, budgetary review, and oversight; it also interfaces with regional legislatures like the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg and executive heads of federal subjects such as Sergei Sobyanin. Judicial interaction includes case law from the Constitutional Court of Russia and implications for adjudication in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. International parliamentary diplomacy involves exchanges with bodies such as the Council of Europe and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, while sanctions and foreign policy shifts have involved responses connected to the United States Department of the Treasury and the European Commission.