DECLARED INCOMES OF HEADS OF REGIONS AND INDICATORS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF CONSTITUENT ENTITIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN THE VOLGA FEDERAL DISTRICT

Abstract

The article explores the relationship between the dynamics and spatial distribution of income of the heads of regions in the Volga Federal District and such indicators as the great regional product, per capita income, average wages, and the rating and political status of the respective regions. Research for the article is consistent with the current approach to studies of political elites and the problems of income stratification in population. In any region the local elite is personified by its head, which corresponds to perception of an average local citizen. The sources of data for the article are Declarations of Income and Assets of the heads of regions and the members of their families, which are published on the official websites of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in accordance with the requirements of Federal Law No. 273-FZ of 25.12.2008 "On Corruption Counteraction". The regional socio-economic indicators used in the article are official statistical data published by the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation. The declared annual incomes of the heads of regions of the Volga Federal District are considered in comparison with the income of an average citizen, based on the assumption that the "average person” presented in the Russian official statistics is not the poorest and the head of the region is not the richest person in the respective region. The time frame of the research is deliberately limited to the period of 2010–2015, as during the period the personal composition of the heads of regions of the Volga Federal District was comparatively stable. The methodological framework for comparing the declared annual incomes of senior regional officials with the selected socio-economic indicators of the regions involves methods of exploratory research and analysis, graphical and cartographic analysis, and techniques of statistical mathematics. The research findings show that both the dynamics and spatial distribution of personal incomes of the heads of regions demonstrates significant correlation with the per capita income of the population in the regions. At the same time, the level of earned incomes (salaries) of the heads of regions and the formal administrative and political status of the respective regions show a very low correlation. The article describing the results of a study of officially reported, open information about personal incomes reveals the scope of differences in socio-economic status between the senior regional officials and the general public in their regions.