The Putin System Russian Authoritarianism Today (original) (raw)

Abstract

The article explores the main trends that have characterized the re-emergence, formation and consolidation of an autocratic regime in post-Soviet Russia. We revisit the developments that led Vladimir Putin to the presidency of the country; framing these events as precursors of changes in formal structures (institutional and legal) and informal power mechanisms that define the current Russian political leadership. Finally, we formulated questions related to potential future scenarios involving such leadership.

Key takeaways

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  1. Putin's regime exemplifies a shift from electoral democracy to competitive authoritarianism in post-Soviet Russia.
  2. The Yeltsin era established conditions for delegative democracy, enabling Putin's autocratic consolidation.
  3. From 1999 to 2002, United Russia gained legislative dominance, marginalizing opposition and altering political dynamics.
  4. Citizen support for Putin remained high, but skepticism towards democracy and political engagement has grown since 2015.
  5. The regime's future may oscillate between hegemonic authoritarianism and attempts at political reform, facing internal and external pressures.

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References (25)

  1. Becker, Jonathan, 2014, "Russia and the new authoritarians", Demokratizatsiya, vol. 22 (2), pp. 191-206.
  2. 13 Putin has gone great lengths to avoid the so-called Color Revolutions -especially the cases of Orange and Pink Revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia-developed during the first decade of the XXI Century. These revolutions have proven successful in places where a semi-autocratic regime (which allows for the existence of independent media), a disunited elite, an unpopular administration and an opposition that is sufficiently broad and organized to mobilize the masses co-exist (Greene, 2014:14). None of these ele- ments can be caught sight of in today's Russia, where a nationalist discourse has secured government support from most of the population, in what Kolesnikov (2015) has described as a new social contract established under the slogan of "Crimea in exchange for our liberties".
  3. Over the past decade (2000-2010), at least 25 de-democratizing incidents, ranging from coups to the gradual curbing of democratic rights, have been reported in nations across several continents (Dia- mond, 2015:142-144).
  4. Chebankova, Elena, 2011, "State and Public Sphere in Russia", Demokratizatsiya, vol. 19 (4), pp. 317-341.
  5. Diamond, Larry, 2015, "Facing Up to the Democratic Recession", vol. 26, January, Journal of Democracy, pp. 141-155.
  6. Fukuyama, Francis, 2014, Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revo- lution to the Globalization of Democracy, New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.
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  8. Greene, Samuel, 2015, "The End of Ambiguity in Russia", Current History, vol. 114, October, pp. 251-258.
  9. Greene, Samuel A., 2014, Moscow in Movement. Power and Opposition in Putin's Russia, Stanford: Stanford University Press.
  10. Kaczmarski, Marcin, 2014, "Domestic Power Relations and Russia's Foreign Policy", Demokratizatsiya, vol. 22 (3), pp. 383-409.
  11. Kolesnikov, Andrei, 2015, The Russian Regime in 2015: All Tactics, no Strategy, Moscow: Carnegie Moscow Center.
  12. Ledeneva, Alena, 2013, Can Russia Modernize? System, Power Networks and Informal Governance, New York: Cambridge University Press.
  13. Levitsky, Steven y Way, Lucan, 2013, Competitive Authoritarianism. Hybrid Regimes af- ter the Cold War, New York: Cambridge University Press.
  14. Lipman, Maria, 2014, "Russia's Nongovernmental Media under Assault", Demokrati- zatsiya, vol. 22 (2), pp. 179-190.
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  19. Shevtsova, Lilia, 2015, "Russia: Imperialism and Decay", vol. 26 (January) in Journal of Democracy, Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 171-182.
  20. Svolik, Milan W., 2012, The Politics of Authoritarian Rule, New York: Cambridge Uni- versity Press.
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  23. Vanderhill, Rachel, 2013, Promoting Authoritarianism Abroad, Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc.
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  25. Armando Chaguaceda. Political scientist and a historian who specializes in the study of civil society, social movements and processes of democratization of authoritarian po- litical regimes. He is a professor at the University of Guanajuato, campus León. E-mail: xarchano@gmail.com

FAQs

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What explains the transition from Yeltsin's regime to Putin's authoritarianism?add

The paper highlights that Yeltsin's regime exemplified a delegative democracy, characterized by weak institutional checks, allowing Putin to consolidate power effectively starting in 1999.

How have authoritarian practices evolved in Russia under Putin's leadership?add

The research indicates a shift towards hegemonic authoritarianism, with increased repression and institutional control from 2014 onwards, particularly following the annexation of Crimea.

What role did the Levada Center surveys play in understanding public opinion?add

Surveys conducted between 2013 and 2015 revealed Putin's approval ratings increased from 55% to 80%, reflecting strong public support for his regime despite rising autocratic indicators.

How does the concept of 'managed democracy' manifest in contemporary Russia?add

The term describes a system where formal electoral processes exist, but State control limits genuine political pluralism, evident in the suppression of dissenting voices in media and politics.

What are the implications of the power centralization seen during Putin's first term?add

Centralization from 1999-2002 allowed United Russia to dominate the Duma, effectively dismantling opposition and entrenching autocratic governance through legislative control and disallowed regional party formation.