Abstract
The centralization of power and the decline of regionalism were two of Vladimir Putin's principal achievements during his presidency. These achievements are now threatened by the global financial crisis, which weakens the Russian central state and widens existing divisions between the centre and the regions. While the crisis does not portend a revival of a 1990s-style regionalism, it exposes the Kremlin's over-centralization of power in the form of stress within the ruling party, United Russia, and rising internal defections among regional elites. As a result, the regime is increasingly vulnerable to social protest and its potential transformation into anti-regime nationalism.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 233-256 |
Number of pages | 34 |
Journal | Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Keywords
- Russia
- regionalism
- federalism
- Authoritarianism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Political Science and International Relations
- Sociology and Political Science