The Government of the Russian Federation (Russian: Прави́тельство Росси́йской Федера́ции) exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the Prime Minister of Russia (Chairman of the Government), the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers. It has its legal basis in the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the federal constitutional law "On the Government of the Russian Federation".[1]
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian Council of Ministers had become the main executive body. At some points it contained over 69 state committees, 16–17 ministers, 5 federal services, and over 46 governmental agencies. After the 2004 reform, government duties were split between 17 ministries, 5 federal services, and over 30 governmental agencies.
The large body was preceded by Government of the Soviet Union. Since the Russian Federation emerged in 1991 to 1992, the government's structure has undergone several major changes. In the initial years, a large amount of government bodies, primarily the different ministries, underwent massive reorganization as the old Soviet governing networks were adapted to the new state. Many reshuffles and remaining's occurred.
On November 28, 1991, President of the RSFSR Boris Yeltsin signed presidential decree No.242 "On reorganization of the government bodies of the RSFSR".
The government is the subject of the 6th chapter of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. According to the constitution, the government of the Russian Federation must:
draft and submit the federal budget to the State Duma; ensure the implementation of the budget and report on its implementation to the State Duma;
ensure the implementation of a uniform financial, credit and monetary policy in the Russian Federation ;
exercise any other powers vested in it by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws and presidential decrees.[4]
The government issues its acts in the way of decisions (Постановления) and orders (Распоряжения). These must not contradict the constitution, federal constitutional laws, federal laws, and Presidential decrees, and are signed by the Prime Minister.