Regional politics in Russia

Cameron Ross

• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Year: 2024
• ISBN:
  9781526184061
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Local & Regional Planning Public Policy
• Index: Politics & International Relations

This innovative, multi-contributed book, now available in paperback, argues convincingly that Russia will never be able to create a viable democracy as long as authoritarian regimes are able to flourish in the regions. The main themes covered are democratisation at the regional level, and the problems faced by the federal states in forging viable democratic institutions in what is now a highly assymetrical Federation. A major strength of the book lies in its combination of thematic chapters with case studies of particular regions and republics. Very little has been published to date on the actual processes of democratisation in particular republics and regions.The book takes into account the literature available on the 'new institutionalism' and outlines the importance of institutions in developing and maintaining democracy. It looks at the importance of sovereignty, federalism and democratic order, and considers the distinct problems of party-building in Russia's regions. Electoral politics are also considered fully, before the book goes on to consider the whole issue of regional politics and democratisation in five particular areas of Russia – Novgorod, the Komi Republic, Russia's Far East, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. The authors, the majority of whom are internationally recognised experts in their field, have been drawn from Britain, the USA, Russia and Germany, giving the book a truly global perspective.

Table of contents

• Front matter
• Contents
• List of tables and appendices
• List of contributors
• Acknowledgements
• List of abbreviations
• 1 Federalism, sovereignty and democracy
• 2 Regional voting patterns in post-communist Russia
• 3 Political parties and regional democracy Cameron Ross
• 4 The role of Russia's governors in the 1999-2000 federal elections
• 5 High stakes, low chances: the failure of party politics in St. Petersburg
• 6 The development of political institutions in three regions of the Russian Far East
• 7 Regional democratisation in Russia: some lessons from Novgorod
• 8 Problems of democratisation in the Komi Republic
• 9 Democratisation, structural pluralism and fragile bi-centrism: the case of Volgograd Oblast
• 10 Bashkortostan: a case of regional authoritarianism
• 11 Tatarstan: syndrome of authoritarianism
• 12 Putin reforms the federal system
• Index