Can Russia reform?
Subtitle: economic, political, and military perspectives
By: Stephen J. Blank, editor
Contributors: Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Series: Strategic Studies Institute monograph; SSI monograph
Publisher: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Carlisle, PA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 109
ISBN-13: 9781584875314
Subjects: Politics and government; Economic policy; Economic conditions; Military policy; Armed Forces; Reorganization
Description: These three papers represent the first panel of papers from SSI's annual Russia conference that took place in September 2011. They assess the nature of Russia's political system, economy, and armed forces and draw conclusions, even sharp and provocative ones, concerning the nature and trajectory of these institutions. The three papers presented here offer attempts to characterize first of all, the nature of the state; second, the prospects for economic reform within that state -- perhaps the most pressing domestic issue and one with considerable spillover into defense and security agendas as well -- in contemporary Russia; and third, the nature and lasting effects of the defense reform that began in 2008. The papers are forthright and pull no punches, though we certainly do not claim that they provide the last or definitive word on these subjects. The papers go straight to the heart of the most important questions concerning the nature of the state and the possibilities for its economic and military reform. As such, we hope that the papers presented here, and in subsequent volumes, provide insight and understanding to several critical questions pertaining to and/or affecting Russia, a country that deliberately tries to remain opaque to foreign observers despite its many changes. These papers aim to be a resource, to enlighten, to edify readers, and to stimulate the effort to understand and deal with one of the most important actors in international affairs today.
Notes: Format not distributed to depository libraries.

"June 2012."

Includes bibliographical references.

Also issued online.
Table of contents: title: Foreword; title: Introduction; title: Russia's choice : change or degradation? / Lilia Shevtsova; title: The impossibility of Russian economic reform : waiting for Godot / Steven Rosefielde; title: Reform of the Russian military and security apparatus : an investigator's perspective / Mark Galeotti.