Synopses & Reviews
On 31st December 1991 the USSR officially ceased to exist, and on 1st January 1992, the Russian Federation was born.
Politics Russia examines the end of the USSR and explains exactly what happened next.
Providing an engaging guide to the complexities of Russian politics, Politics Russia charts Russia's political history from the attempt to create a democracy and a market economy from the rubble of soviet socialism in the 1990s, through Putin's bid to create a strong state and to 'manage democracy', up to the implications of the 2008 election of Dmitry Medvedev as Russia's third post-Soviet president.
Politics Russia gives a comprehensive analysis of Russias executive, legislature and judiciary, of the relations between the federal government and the regions, of political parties, civil society and mass media, the key policy areas of the economy, foreign and defence issues and health and social welfare, as well as contextualising the significance of informal politics, and the continuing importance of networks and patron-client relations to Russian politics and government.
At a time when Russia is reasserting its role as a global power, Politics Russia offers timely and essential reading for the student and general reader alike.
Key features:
o Maps
o Biographies of key figures
o Suggested further reading
o Information boxes
o Definitions of key terminology
o Web resources
Catherine Danks is Senior Lecturer in the History department at
Manchester Metropolitan University and has been teaching Russian History
and Politics for over 25 years. Her most recent publication is Russian
Politics and Society: An Introduction (Pearson, 2001).
Synopsis
Politics Russia provides the most comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date introduction to all aspects of the political development of Russia in the post-communist era. Writing with the undergraduate student specifically in mind, Danks fluent style and masterly grasp of complex material will make this an indispensable guide for many years to come.
Divided into five sections, Politics Russia maps a clear path towards an understanding of Russia and its politics in the twenty first century. In Part One the emergence of contemporary Russia is put into context by a consideration of the end of the USSR and the move towards democratization under Gorbachev. Part Two provides a clear-sighted and stimulating overview of the nature of the executive and the legislature in contemporary Russia. Part Three examines civil society, the role of the media and the representative process. Part Four is focussed on the policy process, from foreign and defence policies to the development of domestic social policies from the provision of healthcare to education. Part Five, the final, provides an overall consideration the contemporary state of Russia, examining the development from Yeltsin, to Putin to Medvedev, and considers the possible futures of the region.
The book is supported by a host of pedagogical features, including:
- Annotated further reading lists
- Definitions of key political terms
- Short biographies of key figures
Synopsis
Politics Russia provides the most comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date introduction to all aspects of the political development of Russia in the post-communist era.
Annotated further reading lists Definitions of key political terms Short biographies of key figures About the Author
Catherine Danks is a political historian in the Department of History at Manchester Metropolitan University, specialising in history and contemporary Russian politics. She is the author of Russian Politics and Society: An Introduction (2001).
Table of Contents
Part One Context Chapter 1 Gorbachev, perestroika and the end of soviet socialism
Chapter 2 Explaining the end of the soviet socialism: the USSR and the Cold War
Chapter 3 Russian in transition
Chapter 4 Russia and the Russian peoples
Part Two The executive and the legislature
Chapter 5 The Federal Executive: President and Government
Chapter 6 The Federal Assembly
Chapter 7 Russian Federalism
Chapter 8 The Judiciary
Chapter 9 The State in Uniform: the Armed and Security Forces
Part Three Political ideas, parties and the representative process
Chapter 10 Civil Society
Chapter 11 The Mass Media
Chapter 12 Elections and Political Parties
Part Four The policy process and reforming Russia
Chapter 13 Foreign and defence policy
Chapter 14 The Economy and Economic policy
Chapter 15 Society and social policies
Conclusion
Chapter 16 From Yeltsin and Putin to Medvedev