April 1999, Volume 10, Issue 2
What Went Wrong in Russia? Creating Perverse Incentives
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Country: Russia
January 1999, Volume 10, Issue 1
Galina Starovoitova (1946-1998)
On the evening of 20 November 1998, Galina Vasilievna Starovoitova was shot to death outside her St. Petersburg apartment. She was the sixth member of the Russian Duma to have been murdered since that body’s creation in 1993. Most observers agree that this was a political assassination. Starovoitova was a tireless, persistent voice for freedom,…
January 1997, Volume 8, Issue 1
Where is Russia Headed? An Uncertain Prognosis
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January 1997, Volume 8, Issue 1
Where is Russia Headed? Toward Stability or Crisis?
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April 1996, Volume 7, Issue 2
Russia Between Elections: The Vanishing Center
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April 1996, Volume 7, Issue 2
Russia Between Elections: The Travails of Liberalism
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April 1995, Volume 6, Issue 2
Reexamining Russia: Crime Without Punishment
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April 1995, Volume 6, Issue 2
Reexamining Russia: Institutions and Incentives
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April 1995, Volume 6, Issue 2
Economic Reform and Democracy: Beyond Shock Therapy
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July 1994, Volume 5, Issue 3
Rethinking Civil Society: Russia’s Fourth Transition
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April 1994, Volume 5, Issue 2
Is Russian Democracy Doomed? Explaining the Vote
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April 1994, Volume 5, Issue 2
Is Russian Democracy Doomed? Toward Presidential Rule
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April 1994, Volume 5, Issue 2
Is Russian Democracy Doomed? Instability and Fragmentation
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April 1994, Volume 5, Issue 2
Is Russian Democracy Doomed? A Return to Stability
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April 1994, Volume 5, Issue 2
Is Russian Democracy Doomed? A Communist Setback
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April 1994, Volume 5, Issue 2
Is Russian Democracy Doomed? Zhirinovsky’s World
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April 1994, Volume 5, Issue 2
Is Russian Democracy Doomed? The Ascent of the Inflationists
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April 1994, Volume 5, Issue 2
Is Russian Democracy Doomed? The Politics of Resentment
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April 1993, Volume 4, Issue 2
The Morass in Moscow: Boris Yeltsin and Russia’s Four Crises
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April 1993, Volume 4, Issue 2
The Morass in Moscow: The Democrats in Disarray
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Why Russians Are Souring on Putin’s War
Vladimir Putin wants to stir patriotic fervor for his war in Ukraine. But most Russians don’t think the war is worth the cost, and it’s putting the Kremlin in a bind.
The Man Who Stood Up to Vladimir Putin
It is almost a year since the death of Alexei Navalny. The Russian opposition leader sought to channel Russian nationalism as a challenge to Putin’s autocracy. He gave everything in the fight.
Is Democracy Surviving the “Year of Elections”?
Millions of voters are casting ballots in a string of elections across the globe. At the midyear point, how well is democracy holding up?
Why Vladimir Kara-Murza Gave Up His Freedom
The Russian dissident journalist and activist knew if he returned to Russia he would be imprisoned or worse. But he was plagued by one question that compelled him to go.
Why Does the Kremlin Bother Holding Sham Elections?
Everyone knows that Russia’s election is a fraud. The problem is no dictator ever feels safe enough, and Putin thinks even a fake election will signal to his cronies that he’s still in charge.
Why Vladimir Putin Is Still Afraid to Say Alexei Navalny’s Name
Russia’s dictator lives in fear. He knows the Russian people don’t support him. He can’t even muster a street rally without bribes or threats. No number of fake elections will change that.
Why Putin Isn’t Forever
The Kremlin’s political theater shouldn’t be mistaken for an election or symbol of stability. It’s a sign of Putin’s weakness and the country’s descent into a deeper tyranny.
Why Ukraine Is Starting to Lose
Putin doesn’t care how many of his troops die. He is looking to win a war of attrition. On the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine needs the West’s help—and it needs it now.
“I Have No Doubts That Navalny Was Killed on Putin’s Orders.”
Alexei Navalny was one of the bravest and most influential political leaders of our time. His assassination should be a wake-up call for Western democracies.
The Legacy of a True Russian Patriot
Alexei Navalny loved Russia and was willing to risk everything for it. It is hard to grasp the magnitude of his death for his people and his country.
Why Alexei Navalny Mattered in Life and Still Matters in Death
Vladimir Putin may have imprisoned, tortured, and killed the brilliant opposition leader, but even now Navalny is a threat to the corrupt autocracy he has built.
The World Has Become Flatter for Authoritarian Regimes
They are benefiting from a world that has grown more hostile for democracy and human rights. But it doesn’t need to be the case. Democracies need to double down on their own competitive advantage.
Stop Trying to “Defeat” Russia and China
Moscow and China pose a great danger to the democratic world. But they pose threats that need to be managed, not won. Every great foreign-policy battle doesn’t end with a decisive victory.
Why He May Soon Be Remembered as “Putin the Weak”
The Russian autocrat wanted to go down in history on par with Russia’s greatest leaders. He is increasingly looking like one of its weakest.
This Is Not the End of Putin’s Troubles
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion has exposed the fundamental instability of Putinism.
Putin Just Learned Why You Don’t Trust Mercenaries
The Russian autocrat forgot an age-old truth about working with common criminals and soldiers for hire.
Believe Nothing Putin or Prigozhin Tell You
In the days ahead, the West must remain calm—and redouble its support for Ukraine.
Putin’s Formula for Ruling Russia Is Failing
The Russian autocrat’s system of control has rested on pillars that are beginning to crumble.
Putin’s War of Recolonization
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine isn’t just another land grab. It’s an attempt to recolonize lost empire, and threatens to return us to the age of conquest.
Why Vladimir Putin’s Luck Ran Out
For twenty years, the Russian autocrat enjoyed a string of good fortune in coming to power and cementing his rule. He had raised Russia’s standing in the world. Then he invaded Ukraine.
How the World Stands Up to Putin
His military didn’t just fail. Ordinary Ukrainians, Russians, and people across the globe are creatively and nonviolently protesting Putin’s war on Ukraine, and they are making a difference.
Putin’s Other Failed War
The Russian leader declared war on his country’s independent journalists. But Russian media outsmarted him by taking their operations overseas. They are now reaching more people than ever before.
What Mattered to You in 2022
In 2022, we began publishing shorter, exclusively online pieces. No topic mattered more to you than Russia’s disastrous war in Ukraine. We also published essays from the sharpest minds on protests in China and Iran, instability in Pakistan, and more.
Putin’s Big Gamble
The Kremlin’s order to call up Russians to fight in Ukraine risks massive protests. It’s the riskiest decision of Putin’s rule, and it could lead to his undoing.
What Does a Humiliated Putin Mean for Russia?
While widespread violence or civil war was averted, the consequences for Russia—and Putin—could be grave.
Why Putin Must Be Defeated
The more determined democracies are to avoid war, the greater the risk that autocracies will wage it.
How Putin’s War in Ukraine Has Ruined Russia
In a matter of weeks, the Russian autocrat has erased his country’s prosperity in a feckless attempt to rebuild a doomed empire.
Putin’s Incredible Shrinking Victory Parade
How does a Russian autocrat celebrate Victory Day while losing a war? Expect lies, myths, and propaganda.
Defeating Putin in Ukraine Is Vital to the Future of Democracy
Why we must tackle the threat posed by Putin and his authoritarianism head on.
Will Putin Outlast the War?
Russia’s autocrat may be weakened, but his grip on power is greater than many people realize.
Why Putin’s Days Are Numbered
The system that Russia’s autocrat built wasn’t designed to survive the pressures it is now facing.
What Putin Fears Most
Forget his excuses. Russia’s autocrat doesn’t worry about NATO. What terrifies him is the prospect of a flourishing Ukrainian democracy.
Dangerous Diplomacy: Why Placating Putin Now Could Doom Ukrainian Democracy Later
If the West forces Kyiv to accept Putin’s diplomatic terms, he will have succeeded without firing a shot.
Authoritarianism Goes Global: The Challenge to Democracy
In recent years, as leading authoritarian countries such as China, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela have become emboldened within the global arena, challenging the liberal international political order, the advanced democracies have retreated rather than responding to this threat.
Democracy after Communism
Is the challenge of building and consolidating democracy under postcommunist conditions unique, or can one apply lessons learned from other new democracies? The essays collected in this volume explore these questions, while tracing how the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union have fared in the decade following the fall of communism.