1st Edition

Political Developments in Contemporary Russia

By Ian Jeffries Copyright 2011
    816 Pages
    by Routledge

    816 Pages
    by Routledge

    This book provides a comprehensive overview of political developments in Russia since late 2000, following on from where the author’s previous publication, The New Russia, left off.  It covers all aspects of politics including the following: the highly centralized nature of power in Russia; central government and presidential elections; regional government and developments in the republics, including unrest in Chechnya and the other Caucasian republics; and human rights. Taking a chronological approach, it shows how politics overall has changed over the period, including how the relationship between Prime Minister (formerly President) Vladimir Putin and President Dmitri Medvedev has worked out.

    The book continues - and adds to – the overview of developments in the author’s The New Russia (2002), and is the companion volume to Economic Developments in Contemporary Russia (2011) - both published by Routledge.

    1. A Chronology of Political Developments since 9 December 2000  2. Human Rights  3. Developments in Chechnya and other Caucasian Republics since 22 January 2001 

    Biography

    Ian Jeffries is Honorary Professor in the Department of Economics and Centre of Russian and East European Studies at Swansea University, UK. His recent publications include A History of Eastern Europe: Crisis and Change, 2nd edition; and numerous books in the series, Guides to Economic and Political Developments in Asia (all published by Routledge).

    Praise for Ian Jeffries’ previous publications:

    1. The Balkans: a Post-Communist History, also published by Routledge

    '... an extremely useful and handy introduction to a complicated but fascinating and important subject. The book provides a wealth of easily digestible information on the post-communist period, but in addition to that it provides a full historical introduction to each state it deals with.' - Richard Crampton, University of Oxford

    '... a lucid account of the development of a region which for over a century has produced more history than could be consumed locally. Simple without being simplistic, analytical yet not overbearing, enlightening but not scholastic, it is a must read for scholars and laymen alike.' - Petya Nitzova, University of Oklahoma

    2. Socialist Economies and the Transition to the Market (1993).

    `This weighty tome can be unreservedly commended ... Students and their teachers can learn a great deal from this book ... Excellent! Ian Jeffries has done us all a service' - Alec Nove, Europe-Asia Studies, 1993

    `This hefty and well-documented volume on socialist economies and the transition to the market is both useful and timely" - Journal of Contemporary Asia, 1995

    `A personal tour de force by Ian Jeffries' - Economics of Transition, 1994

    `This book will serve as an invaluable source of information for anybody with an interest (academic, business or otherwise) in the area. Simply brilliant!' - Paul Nunn, Manchester Metropolitan University

    3. Industrial Reform in Socialist Countries: From Restructuring to Revolution (1992).

    `This is a thoughtful review and evaluation of industrial reforms in fourteen former centrally planned economies ... It should become required reading for students of the political economy of transformation as well as for the specialists and practitioners dealing with the problems of restructuring in the former CPEs' - The World Economy, 1993

    `The volume has admirable features, including some good treatments of `mainstream' countries and useful contributions on the lesser known ones. It can thus be recommended as providing a snapshot of recent industrial reforms' - International Affairs, 1993

    4. A Guide to the Socialist Economies (1990).

    `Jeffries has produced a useful reference guide that will doubtless become a standard in the field and a valuable addition to academic libraries' - Journal of Comparative Economics, 1991

    `The book is a very welcome addition to the library of publications on the socialist world ... It is more than a textbook - it is also a reference book and a guide ... Jeffries covers a vast area ... It is a truly formidable task to catch up with all the changes that are taking place in these countries, and the author does it with great success' - International Affairs, 1990

    5. The East German Economy (1987).

    `The best one-volume summary of the GDR available in English' - German Politics and Society, 1989.

    `This study can be highly recommended ... As far as I know, it is the most comprehensive book on the GDR economy in the English language ... Notwithstanding these criticisms, this book is a must for every library in the Faculties of Economics or on Soviet and East European Studies' - Soviet Studies, 1988

    6. A History of Eastern Europe: Crisis and Change (1998): `A monumental work ... lucid and fresh ... bang up to date' - Raymond Pearson, Ulster University; `A History of Eastern Europe ... looks like being a seminal text for the foreseeable future. Monumental in size and combining a thematic historical survey with an analysis of processes of political, economic and social change, this is a book that does not shrink from controversy" - Tom Gallagher, European History Quarterly, 1999

    `An excellent and wide-ranging history of the region’ (The Rough Guide to Budapest, Penguin 2002.

    7. Economies in Transition: a Guide to China, Cuba, Mongolia, North Korea and Vietnam at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century (2001):

    The Countries of Eastern Europe at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century: a Guide to the Economies in Transition (2002).

    The Countries of the Former Yugoslavia at the Turn of the Twenty-first Century: a Guide to the Economies in Transition (2002): `Of the few authors sufficiently knowledgeable to write on all thirty-plus countries moving from central planning to the market, Ian Jeffries is outstanding’ - Michael Kaser

    8. Good Governance in Central and Eastern Europe: the Puzzle of Capitalism by Design, Edward Elgar: Cheltenham, 2001:  `Ian Jeffries … is one of the most productive writers in the field of political and economic transformation in Central and Eastern Europe’ - Herman W. Hoen, Professor of International Political Economy, University of Groningen, Netherlands

    9. The New Russia: a Handbook of Economic and Political Developments: 'This book is a valuable source of detailed information and, above all, for Western views of Russia' - Economic Journal, 2003