Return to Putin's Russia: Past Imperfect, Future Uncertain
This is an excellent anthology of well-written chapters that elucidate the key dynamics of the Russian political system as well as the main themes of Russian policy at the advent of President Putin's return to power in 2012. In each of the chapters, the contributors are careful to outline the parameters of the institutional or policy themes established during the Yeltsin years of the 1990s. They then clarify the often sharp changes that President Putin put in place in the early 21st century. On a broader level, the Putin/Medvedev years have been characterized by the contradiction between movement in a more statist centralized direction and the emergence of a more robust and participatory political culture. In this regard, the chapters on civil society and media are particularly welcome. Domestic policy chapters highlight past changes and current needs in demographic, economic, crime/corruption, and agricultural policy. The four foreign policy chapters focus on the tensions with the US, the priority on Central Asia, the importance of relations with the EU, and the process of military reform. Scholars, students, and observers of Russian politics will welcome this worthy volume.Summing Up:Recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduate students and above.(CHOICE)