Politics in Russia

This new, fully updated edition of Politics in Russia continues to provide a concise overview of the most important topics in contemporary Russian politics. Taking a comparative perspective, it delivers accessible, yet comprehensive coverage of the major themes and topics in Russian politics from historical legacies, state and regime, elections and parties, to the rule of law and corruption, society, nationalism and foreign affairs. It helps answer key questions about Russian politics, such as why Russia is an autocracy, the causes of the war in Ukraine, the stability of Putin’s regime and the weakness of opposition, economic inequality and the role of ethnicity and nationalism in Russian politics. Key features:Reconceptualized to analyze developments in Russia through the lens of authoritarian politics, grounded in the latest social science research, illuminating key debates and topics. Fully updated coverage of fundamental changes that have occurred in Russia including the annexation of Crimea, autocratization, the evolution of opposition movements, the Ukraine invasion, and the return of open confrontation with the West. New and fully expanded chapters with feature boxes highlighting key figures and topics, and end-of-chapter questions to initiate discussion. This textbook is essential reading for Russian politics and society, autocracy studies, Central Asian and East European politics/studies, and more broadly for international relations.