From Boom to Bust: Hardship, Mobilization & Russia’s Social Contract

Samuel A. Greene

doi:10.1162/DAED_a_00439

From Boom to Bust: Hardship, Mobilization & Russia’s Social Contract

Samuel A. Greene^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Russia Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

293 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

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?.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	113-127
Number of pages	15
Journal	Daedalus
Volume	146
Issue number	2
Early online date	27 Mar 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1162/DAED_a_00439
Publication status	Published - 2017

Access to Document

10.1162/DAED_a_00439

From Boom to Bust_GREENE_Publishedonline27March2017_GREEN AAMAccepted author manuscript, 321 KB

Cite this

@article{2b547bd96a0b435aae3bc3474db5f257,

title = "From Boom to Bust: Hardship, Mobilization & Russia{\textquoteright}s Social Contract",

abstract = "This essay revisits the debate about Russia{\textquoteright}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{\textquoteright}s ruling elite, which lends particular animus to grassroots contention in a variety of settings. The question for Russia{\textquoteright}s sociopolitical future, however, remains an old one: can reactive civic mobilization lead to a proactive process of bottom-up agenda setting?.",

author = "Greene, {Samuel A.}",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.1162/DAED_a_00439",

language = "English",

volume = "146",

pages = "113--127",

journal = "Daedalus",

issn = "0011-5266",

publisher = "MIT Press Journals",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - From Boom to Bust

T2 - Hardship, Mobilization & Russia’s Social Contract

AU - Greene, Samuel A.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - 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?.

AB - 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?.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85016507143&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1162/DAED_a_00439

DO - 10.1162/DAED_a_00439

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85016507143

SN - 0011-5266

VL - 146

SP - 113

EP - 127

JO - Daedalus

JF - Daedalus

IS - 2

ER -

From Boom to Bust: Hardship, Mobilization & Russia’s Social Contract

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this