Search results

"This book examines how Russia's entrepreneurs operate in a business environment beset with risk and uncertainty. The challenges they may encounter include an unreliable judicial system, insecure property rights, arbitrary interference from officials, as well as corruption, harassment, suspicion and violence. Based on extensive original research, including fieldwork within three businesses, this book explores how entrepreneurs survive and some thrive. It focuses on the kind of obstacles they face from day to day, details their motivations, rationale and methods, and describes the actual relationship between ordinary entrepreneurs and the state, providing new insights into business-state relations"--

This book offers the first comprehensive analysis of the contemporary Russian women's movement and of the social, political, economic, historical, and international contexts that surround it. Valerie Sperling paints a vivid portrait of the women's movement's formation and development, paying particular attention to the key challenges facing a social movement in post-communist society, including the virtual absence of civil society, constant flux in political institutions, wrenching economic changes, and the movement's own status in a changing transnational environment. The author also addresses the specific challenges facing women's organizations by discussing societal attitudes towards feminism in Russia. Based on participant observation, primary source materials, and dozens of interviews conducted in Moscow (as well as two smaller Russian cities), the narrative brings alive the activists' struggle to build a social movement under difficult conditions, and sheds new light on the troubled and complex process of Russia's democratization

This book examines the failure of economic reform in Russia since 1991, when Boris Yeltsin proclaimed his commitment to economic stabilization, privatization, and price liberalization. Optimism over Russia¡¯s market reforms vanished with the crash of August 1998, when the ruble lost over 70 percent of its value and banks defaulted on their debts and forward currency contracts. Contrary to Yeltsin¡¯s reform promises, the Russian economy of the 1990s more closely resembled a Soviet model than a market-driven one. The Logic of Economic Reform in Russia illuminates the general problems of establishing market economies in settings where the institutional system to support the market has not had decades to develop. Suggesting that corruption may be associated with growth in the early stages of capitalism, Jerry F. Hough argues that the disappointing results of Yeltsin¡¯s reform efforts were not the product of Russian culture or history, but the logical consequences of rational men responding to the incentive system created by economic reform.

Preface -- Contents -- About the Authors -- Acronyms -- List of Tables -- List of Graphs -- 1 The Disintegration of the Soviet Union: Systemic Change and Systematic Collapse -- The Structure of the Argument -- Monolithic Party and Democratic Centralism -- Soviet Economy: Uneven and Over-Militarised -- Gorbachev's Reforms: Perestroika and Glasnost -- Conflicts Between Party Elites: Gorbachev-Yeltsin Rivalry -- Surge of Nationalism in the Soviet Republics -- Was Disintegration Inevitable? -- Conclusion -- References -- 2 The Constitution of Russia: Genesis, Features and Political Implications -- Why a New Constitution? -- An Outline of the Constitution -- Fundamental Structure of the Constitution -- Constitutionalism and Accountability -- Political Implications -- References -- 3 The Formation of the Federation and Regional Politics -- The Federal Discourse -- Regional Structure -- Negotiating the Federation (1990-2000) -- The constitution and the Regional Question -- Putin and the Changes in Federal Laws -- The Regional Elite -- Patterns in Regional Politics -- Regional Politics and Governance -- Economic Reforms in the Region -- Inter-regional Conflicts in the Early Years -- The Case of Tatarstan -- The Case of the Caucasus and Chechnya -- Separatism in Dagestan -- Integrative Federalism Under Putin -- Conclusion -- References -- 4 The Presidency and Presidential Power -- Putin's Ascendance to Power -- Putin's Understanding of Russia -- Putin's Popularity -- Consolidating Russian Statehood -- Political Management -- Economic Consolidation -- Re-emergence of Russian Power -- Social Policies -- The Medvedev Interregnum (2008-2012) -- The Yeltsin Years -- Shaping the Presidency -- The President in the Russian Federation -- The Conflict with the Parliament -- The President's Role in the New Constitution -- Elite and Presidential Politics

Intro -- RUSSIA AND UKRAINE IMPORT AND EXPORT GUIDES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE -- RUSSIA AND UKRAINE IMPORT AND EXPORT GUIDES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- Chapter 1 RUSSIAN FEDERATION: FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL IMPORT REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS∗ -- LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY -- SECTION I. FOOD LAWS -- Russian Legislation and Principal Regulatory Documents on Foodstuff Imports -- 1. Customs Union documents: -- General -- Tariff and TRQs -- General SPS Measures -- 2. Russian Federal Laws in effect to the extent that they do not contradict the CU Agreements and CU Commission/EEC Decisions: -- General -- General SPS Measures -- Sanitary Measures -- Veterinary Measures -- Phytosanitary Measures -- Technical Regulation -- 3. Russian Government Regulations: -- Sanitary Measures -- Veterinary Measures -- Technical Regulation -- 4. Russian Competent Authority Regulations: -- Sanitary Measures -- Veterinary Measures -- Phytosanitary Measures -- Technical Regulation -- Russia's Federal Regulatory Bodies for Imported Foodstuffs -- Customs Union Regulatory Bodies -- Belarus -- Kazakhstan -- Russian Federation -- SECTION II. LABELING REQUIREMENTS -- General Requirements -- Biotech Products -- Organic Products -- SECTION III. PACKAGING AND CONTAINER REGULATIONS -- SECTION IV. FOOD ADDITIVES REGULATIONS -- SECTION V. PESTICIDES AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS -- SECTION VI. OTHER REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS -- Licensing -- Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) -- Alcohol -- Excise Stamps -- Alcohol -- Products under sanitary-epidemiological control -- Product Registration -- Biotech Crops -- Alcohol -- Declaration of Conformity -- Products under veterinary control -- Veterinary Health Certificate -- Lists of Approved Establishments -- Import Permits -- Products under Phytosanitary Control -- Phytosanitary Certificates

Cover -- Contents -- Preface -- Foreword -- Map -- Introduction -- The Arguments -- The Russia Balance Sheet -- Ch 1: Challenges Facing the Russian Economy after the Crisis -- Before the Crisis -- The Crisis -- Russia After the Crisis: The Challenges -- Strategic Priorities for Russia -- What Next? -- Ch 2: Russian Politics in a Time of Economic Turmoil -- Economic Crisis and Recovery -- Consequences of Economics for Politics -- Presidential Popularity and Political Constraints -- Politics in the Financial Crisis -- Conclusion -- Ch 3: Federalism in Russia -- Principles of Federalism -- Yeltsin's Decentralization in the 1990s -- Reforming State-Corroding Federalism: Lessons from Other Developing Countries -- Putin's Centralization: Follow Mexico or China? -- Conclusion -- Ch 4: Corruption and Rule of Law -- Context -- The Putin Report Card: Corruption -- Legal Institutions -- The Power of Friends in High Places -- Caveats and Observations -- President Medvedev's Turn -- Implications -- Ch 5: Role of High-Technology Industries -- Russia's Heritage in High-Technology Industries -- Current Role of High-Technology Industries -- Future Role of High-Technology Industries -- Conclusion -- Ch 6: Climate Change and Role of Energy Efficiency -- Russia and Climate Change -- Russia's Role in International Climate Policy -- Climate Policy at Home -- Politics of Climate Change Policy -- Energy Efficiency and the Economic Benefits of an Affirmative Climate Policy -- An Opportunity for US-Russia Engagement -- Ch 7: Gazprom: Challenged Giant in Need of Reform -- Gazprom's Traditional Strategy -- Challenges Hit Gazprom -- Gazprom's Response to the Crisis -- An Alternative Russian Gas Policy -- Ch 8: Military Reform against Heavy Odds -- Origins and Design of the Military Reform -- The Thinking behind the Military Reform.

"'[The] scholarship is consistently through and lucid, and absolutely reliable' European Public Law As reviews of the first edition attest, this book gives a unique critical and contextual insight into the Constitution of one the world's most powerful countries. Its first edition was published in 2011, when Dmitrii Medvedev was Russia's President. Since then there was a regime change in 2012 as Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency, and, significantly, dramatic shifts in constitutionality as Russia pursues a 'return to traditional values'. The book explores the Constitution's evolution over its nearly 30 years' existence, including the significant amendments of 2020. This second edition situates these important changes in the context of Russia's historical and legal development, as Putin continues to dominate the political scene. It also looks at broader constitutional questions on the interrelation between the main State agencies, the role of the courts, human rights and their enforcement"--

The exposition is based on an analytical framework covering all ?building blocks? of fiscal federalism: size and structure of jurisdictions, expenditures, revenues, transfers, and borrowing. The application of this framework to Russian settings results in a comprehensive assessment of the state of intergovernmental fiscal relations in Russia

In the early 1990s, competitive elections in the Russian Federation signaled the end to the authoritarian political system dominated by a single political party. More than ten years and many elections later, a single party led by Russian President Vladimir Putin threatens to end Russia's democratic experiment