Russia's Policy Challenges

Designed for use in courses on contemporary Russia, this volume explores Russia's policy dilemmas in three realms: international security, socio-political, and socio-economic. In each of these categories, Russia faces daunting problems, none of which is likely to be resolved quickly or easily. Yet, over the longer term, the extent to which policymakers are successful in dealing with these challenges will go far in determining Russia's future place in the world, how Russians will live, and what kind of country Russia becomes. Each expertly authored chapter outlines the nature of one major issue; traces it evolution and policy developments under the Yeltsin and Putin presidencies; and evaluates the effectiveness and prospects of efforts to come to grips with the challenge. Policy and Security Challenges in Russia; 1: International Security Challenges; 1: Russia's Threat Perceptions; 2: Russian-Asian Relations; 3: The Challenge of Relations with Former Republics; 4: The Challenge of Russia's North-South Integration; 5: Russian-American Relations; 2: Sociopolitical Challenges; 6: The Challenge of Crime and Corruption; 7: Putin's Vertical Challenge: Center-Periphery Relations; 8: The Challenge of Civil Society; 9: Russia's Struggle for Democracy; 3: Socioeconomic Challenges; 10: Labor Challenges and the Problem of Quiescence; 11: Russia's Demographic Challenges; 12: The Challenge of Rural Revival; 13: Environmental Policy Challenges