Suchergebnisse

This essay revisits the debate about Russia's "social contract," arguing that the ability of the Russian system to maintain macro-political stability in the face of significant and prolonged micro-level economic hardship hinges on a peculiarly disengaged relationship between Russian citizens and their state. Russian citizens are seen clearly to understand the failings of the political system and leadership, reinforcing habits of "involution" learned over decades of institutional dysfunction. A review of recent protest movements, indeed, demonstrates that general quiescence coexists with a deep-seated antipathy toward the country's ruling elite, which lends particular animus to grassroots contention in a variety of settings. The question for Russia's sociopolitical future, however, remains an old one: can reactive civic mobilization lead to a proactive process of bottom-up agenda setting?.

The narrative underpinning all of these shifts—the construction of a new hierarchy of power, the unrelenting attacks on the opposition, the rise of confrontation with the United States—was one of threat.

The "newness" in Russia's current protest movement has more to do with the creation of new ties and relationships among existing protest groups, which increases the mobilizational power of their argument, than in the recruitment of new activists and participants. Adapted from the source document.

Der Autor diagnostiziert in seinem Beitrag einen dramatischen Zerfall des öffentlichen Raums im postsowjetischen Russland. Zu beobachten sei eine Flucht der Bürger aller Schichten aus der Politik ins Private. Ob die neuen Protestbewegungen diesen Trend umkehren, ist abzuwarten. Der Autor geht der Frage nach, ob in Russland fundamentale gesellschaftliche Entwicklungen im Gang sind, die die Reformierung des russischen Staates voranbringen. Und wenn diese existieren, wie könnte dann die Reformierung in den nächsten zehn Jahren verlaufen? Zunächst beschreibt der Autor vier Schlüsselphänomene der russischen Gesellschaft, geht anschließend auf die zu beobachtende Flucht der Bürger aus der Politik ein und beschreibt schließlich Szenarien für Russlands Zukunft. (ICB2)

Introduction : understanding pathological counterinsurgency -- Legitimacy and democratization in counterinsurgency -- Building legitimacy : theory vs. practice -- Democratization, elections and counterinsurgency in theory and policy -- Vietnam -- El Salvador -- Iraq -- Afghanistan -- Malaya, Colombia, and the limits of third party campaigns -- Conclusion : the limits of elections in counterinsurgency