Policy Memos | Аналитика 125

The Politics of Labor Code Reform in Putin’s Russia

The recent announcement of a merger between the pro-Kremlin Unity party and Yuri Luzhkov's Fatherland movement (arguably the foremost anti-Kremlin force in the 1999 Duma campaign) was viewed by knowledgeable…

A Dangerous Balancing Act: Karimov, Putin, and the Taliban

Less than six months ago, several related events in Afghanistan suggested anything but an impending peace agreement among hostile neighbors in this war-torn region. Tensions among the relevant actors in…

Russia’s Belarus Dilemma

Russia’s Belarus dilemma can be formulated as two questions. Should Moscow continue the process of political integration with Belarus–which necessarily entails interaction with and support of the regime of President…

Islam in Russian Society and Politics: Survival and Expansion

In modern times, whether "healthy" or "sick" from an economic and political standpoint, Russia has managed to preoccupy outside observers with the changing condition of its psyche. What was known…

What is Driving Russia’s New Strategic Concept?

A good deal of confusion has arisen in the West about Russia's latest "Concept of National Security," which formally took effect on January 10 and was published in the weekly…

The State of Democratization in Russia in Light of the Elections

Now that Russia has entered the new millennium with a new leader and a new parliament, it is time to take stock of the democratization process in Russia. This memo…

Rethinking the Role of International Institutions in Post-Soviet States

The common wisdom is that international institutions (hereafter referred to as IIs) have a poor track record in promoting change in post-Soviet states. On the one hand, congressional critics censure…

Reflections on Putin’s Rise to Power

Suddenly, something in the mysterious and unpredictable realm of Russia looks not merely predictable but destined to happen. It is almost embarrassing to analysts, who are used to the bubbling…

Southern Russia: The Heartland or Russia’s Soft Underbelly?

Southern Russia is undoubtedly of strategic importance. Its figures are not too impressive: with about 13% of Russia's total population, the region produces 15.5% of the country's agriculture and just…

Economic Assistance to Russia: Ineffectual, Politicized, and Corrupt?

While it is easy to critique reform programs after the fact–and therefore also easy to dismiss critics–understanding why economic assistance to Russia seems to have failed remains a vitally important…

Hobbling Along: Russian Banking Reform

In the aftermath of Russia's August 1998 financial crisis, many observers hoped that genuine reform and restructuring would occur in the Russian banking sector. Unfortunately, almost a year and a…

Russia’s Nationalist Consolidation: Love it or Leave it?

More than sixty years ago, Russia experienced a radical ideological transition that in some respects strikingly resembles the processes taking place today. In the late twenties, Communist ideology in Russia…

Contacts

DIGITAL RESOURCES

Knowledge Hub

RECOMMENDED

The Impacts of Host- and Home-Country Political Environments on Russian Activists Abroad

Can Russians Learn to Recognize Propaganda? Understanding of Media Bias Amid the Ukraine War

The 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan: Another Russian Attempt to Regain Diplomatic Status

Despite Everything: How and Why Russia Remains an Actor in the Horn of Africa

Resilience Strained: How Civil-Military Relations Are Shaping Russia’s War Effort

PONARS Eurasia Podcast

Policy Memos | Аналитика