Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions
Current political affairs and long-term trends – including the evolution of Russia’s leadership structure – are studied in depth and in comparative context. The program studies Russia’s political institutions, shifting balances of power between the federal center and the regions, changing public attitudes towards democracy, and theoretical issues of politics, economics, power and business.
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Translations
- Русский
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In the Russian Wildfires, Will Putin Get Burned?
The Russian government’s poor response to the wildfires will further widen the chasm separating the nation’s authorities from society.
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It Takes Two to Reset
The U.S. administration and politicians in Moscow have sharply divergent views on the ‘reset’ in bilateral relations. Where U.S. officials see dialogue, compromises, and concessions as a means of winning over the other side, the Russian elite considers dialogue to be a sign of weakness.
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What’s the Matter With Russia?
The Central and East European states integrated into liberal Europe because their ruling elites were able to reach a consensus, and because the European Union readily accepted them. By contrast, Russia has reverted to personalized power.
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The Lonely Power. Why Russia Has Not Become the West and Why the West Is Difficult for Russia
The treatment of the West as Russia’s main adversary has been primarily meant to tighten control over the domestic political scene under the pretext of a “foreign threat” and should be discontinued. Russia’s foreign policy actions should serve the demands of the country’s modernization and should not be used to preserve the status quo, which in today’s circumstances would mean stagnation.
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20 Years Without the Berlin Wall: A Breakthrough to Freedom
Enormous societal and political shifts 20 years ago opened prospects for a new, united Europe. Despite Russia’s role in this peaceful departure from totalitarianism, the country’ course in the subsequent two decades was not so straightforward. While the demolition of the Berlin Wall is no guarantee of success, democratic transformations are a necessary precondition.
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Smart Engagement
The European Union has little direct governmental influence on Russia, but its indirect societal influence is significant. Ultimately, however, while the EU can help efforts to modernize Russia, there is a need for real reform from inside the country itself.
Featured Event
The Politics of History and Its Variations in Post-Socialist Countries
History is being newly politicized in Russia and in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and history itself is becoming a field of politics, but historians can and should resist manipulation by politicians.
Experts & Staff
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Viktoria Shapovalova
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Lilia Shevtsova
Shevtsova was deputy director of the Moscow Institute of International Economic and Political Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and director of the Center of Political Studies in Moscow.