Azar Gat describes Russia along with China as a prominent example of a modern authoritarian capitalist nation, describing the nation as becoming increasingly authoritarian while maintaining a predominately capitalist economic model. Aaron L. Friedberg simplifies the evolution of the Russian model in the following statement: "The Russian system has also evolved from communist totalitarianism to a form of nationalist authoritarian capitalism that appears for the moment at least to be relatively stable". Friedberg also describes the 1996 presidential election as the point where authoritarian capitalism began forming within Russia, depicting an increasingly powerful majority party backed by media controlled by oligarchies and lead by Boris Yeltsin and later Vladimir Putin. From 1999 under Putin, Friedberg describes the Russian regime as solidifying its power through a re-obtaining state control of natural resources, obtaining control of media and limiting dissidence through measures such as restricting non-governmental organization operations.