InfoTrac Reader Russia Russian politics seems to lack some of the intensity it had a decade or so ago. To be sure, the same basic problems remain. The economy is still weak compared to western nations. There are still charges of widespread corruption and infringements on basic freedoms on the part of the oligarchs and other members of the elite. And the unrest in Chechnya continues to simmer. However, Russia may have turned some important corners. By mid-2004 overall economic growth was strong, although GNP per capita is still low and some sectors of society are not enjoying the benefits of the growing economy. Some of the oligarchs have been arrested and/or forced into exile. Vladimir Putin won reelection, and he and his political allies continue to dominate the political process. Whatever progress Russia has been able to make at the dawn of the twenty-first century, it remains a country with serious problems at home and abroad. Slaying his own dragons; Russian reform. (The Kremlin's master does battle with his underlings) The Economist (US) May 1, 2004 v371 i8373 p51US (704 words) Putin redux; Russia's presidential election. (Vladimir Putin re-elected) The Economist (US) March 20, 2004 v370 i8367 p54US (545 words) No More Excuses; Putin now has the power. It's time to deliver on his promises. (Russian president Vladimir Putin) Christian Caryl, Frank Brown. Newsweek International March 15, 2004 p26 (1646 words) Four More Years: Vladimir Putin looks set for a big win in next week's presidential election. Will he tighten his grip on Russia even more during his second term? (Europe) Paul Quinn-Judge. Time International (Europe Edition) March 15, 2004 v163 i11 p40 (2599 words) PUTIN REGIME THREATENS RUSSIA'S RICHEST. (oligarch) Susan Watters. WWD March 10, 2004 p23 (955 words) A Normal Country. Andrei Shleifer, Daniel Treisman. Foreign Affairs March-April 2004 v83 i2 p20 (6688 words) Terror on the Subway: President Putin blames Chechen rebels for the latest deadly attack. But is he making things worse? (World) Time Feb 16, 2004 v163 i7 p45 (717 words) Pulling for Putin. (Vladimir Putin) Christian Caryl, Frank Brown, Helen Womack. Newsweek International Jan 26, 2004 p24 (1084 words) Putin Versus Big Oil. (Vladimir Putin) Frank Brown. Newsweek International Jan 19, 2004 p45 (815 words) Putin's might is White: the Russian President is a nationalist, not a communist, says Paul Robinson, and has much in common with the men who fought the Bolsheviks in the civil war. Paul Robinson. Spectator Jan 10, 2004 v294 i9153 p18(2) (1638 words) Putin's way - The Russian elections. After the Russian elections; Vladimir Putin The Economist (US) Dec 13, 2003 v369 i8354 p24US (2852 words) The Game Goes On: Russia has oil--plenty of it--and whatever happens to Khodorkovsky, it will keep on flowing. Features)(Mikhail Khodorkovsky Janet Guyon. Fortune Nov 24, 2003 v148 i11 p154 (1626 words) EU/RUSSIA: RELATIONS MOVE UP ANOTHER NOTCH. (European Union) European Report Nov 11, 2003 p502 (1144 words) Vlad the impaler - Vlad the impaler; Russia. (After the arrest of Mikhail Khodorkovsky) The Economist (US) Nov 1, 2003 v369 i8348 p13US (1212 words) Moscow Rising. Michael Leverson Meyer. Newsweek International Oct 13, 2003 p32 (2458 words) No Way Out? Moscow aims to pull back from Chechnya, but as Paul Quinn-Judge reports from Grozny, Chechens--and the Russian military--may have other ideas. (World) Paul Quinn-Judge. Time Oct 13, 2003 v162 i15 p40 (1788 words) The sick man of asia: Russia's endangered Far East. Rajan Menon. The National Interest Fall 2003 i73 p93(13) (6939 words) Allison, Graham, "Deepening Russia’s Democracy." Harvard International Review. 24 (Summer 2002). One of the United States’ leading international relations and veterans of the Cold War explores the surprising strides made during Putin’s first year and a half in office Basic. Brzezinski, Zibigniew. "Living with Russia." The National Interest. Fall 2000. Another article by an old Soviet hand, more conservative and pessimistic than Allison. Basic. Demokratizatsiya. 11 (Winter 2003). 10 (Spring 2002) These special issues of the journal (which despite its title is in English) include articles assessing the overall accomplishments and failures of Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Intermediate to advanced. Feifer, Gregory. "Russia’s Real Rulers." World Policy Journal. Fall 2000. One of the first systematic attempts to explore the power of the so-called and self-described oligarchs who exert tremendous behind the scenes power in post-communist Russia, though perhaps less than they did when Feifer wrote. Intermediate. Gibson, James. "Becoming Tolerant? Short Term Changes in Russian Political Culture." British Journal of Political Science. As the question mark in the title suggests, Gibson finds ambiguous results on tolerance. Once people begin to develop tolerance toward others, it builds on itself. However, he also finds that many Russians are still fearful of threats to their security, and that they can become even more intolerant. Advanced. Hanson, Philip. "Russian Economic Recovery." Europe-Asia Studies. 55 (2003). This article reviews the four years of more rapid than expected growth since the economic crisis of 1998. Hanson concludes that there is some evidence-but still not a lot-that Russia is turning a structural corner in its economic reform. Intermediate. March, Luke, For Victory? The Crises and Dilemmas of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation." Europe-Asia Studies. 53 (2001). One of the few systematic attempts to explain how the CPRF evolved after 1991 and how it avoided political extinction. Intermediate. Mendeslon, Sarah. "Democracy Assistance and Political Transition in Russia. International Security. 25 (2001). This article explores the often controversial subject of how effective official government aid programs and the work of NGOs has been in establishing democracy in Russia. Not surprisingly, Mendelson finds that that the record is mixed if for no other reason than the fact that not much money has been made available. Intermediate. Rose, Richard, Neil Munro, and Stephen White. "Voting in a Floating Party System: The 1999 Duma Election." Europe-Asia Studies. 53 (2001). The leading team of Russian elections experts considers how voters behave when they do not have fixed political views and have to deal with a party system which changes dramatically from election to election. Advanced. Treisman, Daniel. "Russia Renewed." Foreign Affairs. 81 (Nov-Dec 2002). A largely favorably article about the way Putin has stabilized Russian political and economic life. Intermediate.