Russian politics is post-communist, but there is little consensus about the nature of the political system that has emerged during the Putin presidency. The chapters of this international collection focus on the issues of interpretation that arise from the political system as a whole, but also on individual institutions such as the presidency and the security police, which some have seen as dominant. Attention is paid to the socioeconomic dimension of political power, the major organised interests, and the industrial magnates that have become known as the "oligarchs" and the place they occupy in public opinion, the media, and contemporary culture. Putin has certainly enjoyed a remarkable level of popularity over his eight years of office; but the authors of this collection, from various viewpoints, suggest the ruling group as a whole may face an uncertain future.
Author(s): Stephen White (editor)
Series: Studies in Central and Eastern Europe
Edition: 1
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 190
Tags: Russian and Post-Soviet Politics;Political Science
Front Matter....Pages i-xvi
What Kind of Political Regime Does Russia Have?....Pages 1-26
The Presidentialization of a Semi-Presidential Regime: the Case of Russia....Pages 27-41
The Russian Federal Security Service under President Putin....Pages 42-62
The Inherent Instability of the Ruling Elite....Pages 63-86
Interest Groups and Economic Reform in Contemporary Russia: Before and After Yukos....Pages 87-119
The ‘Oligarchs’ in Russian Mass Consciousness....Pages 120-137
Are Russia’s Oligarchs Scapegoats? Some Empirical Evidence from the Russian Press....Pages 138-156
Unintentional Humour in Oligarkh and Antikiller, or How New Are the ‘New Russians’?....Pages 157-171
Back Matter....Pages 172-173
