The efficiency of the economy largely depends on the presence or absence of competition in the economic and political life of the country. The modern Russian economy is characterized by an extremely high degree of monopolization, and economic power is closely intertwined with political power, creating insurmountable barriers to the development of competition. The result is economic and technological inefficiency, which can be overcome only by limiting the bureaucratic aspirations of departments and creating the prerequisites for competition in the economy. The article was prepared at the expense of the grant of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project No. 17-32-01193 (the organization is the recipient of funds - St. Petersburg State University).