Continuity, Change and Power Relations in Russian Capitalism

Alexandra Vasileva

University of Amsterdam

Department for Political Science

[email protected]

Boston University, 1 Oct 2014

Continuity, Change and Power Relations in Russian Capitalism

My PhD research

Development of Russia‘s Political Economy compared to other BRICs

Macro-level. How politics interacts with the economy (business)

What was the trajectory? Why this particular trajectory?

Framework

• Liberal type of capitalism

• Statist type

• Patrimonial type

1992-2002 2003-….

Continuity and Change in Russian Political Economy

liberalismliberalism

statism statism

patrimonialism patrimonialism

BRICs

Beginning of arrow: 1998End of arrow: 2008

Liberal Embedded(statist + patrimonial) 100 75 25 50

Russia ChinaUSA

Brazil India

W h y ?

• Why this trajectory (why so patrimonial..)?

• Why different than the BRICs?

• Why does the state dominate business (not so in the West..) ?

…Answer from the perspective of power relations

Understanding power relations

=

studying the distribution of power resources

Power resources bureuacracy vs firms: Some aspects

• Formal „strenght“ of the Russian state vis-a-vis business– Control of legal system– Physical violence. Raiding..

• It‘s all about informal relations

• Normality !– of personal relations – of solving problems informally – of corruption

Wrap-up

• Russia de-liberalises: statism + patrimonialism

• Not so in the other BRIC countries!

• „Balance of power“ on the side of the (patrimonial) state, business embarks on adaptation/survival strategies

• Let‘s discuss do‘s and don‘ts in light with comparison with China…