The Russian Presidency: Society and Politics in the Second Russian Republic [Paperback]

Thomas M. Nichols (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312293372 | ISBN-13: 978-0312293376 | Publication Date: September 7, 2001

Why has Russian democracy apparently survived and even strengthened under a presidential system, when so many other presidential regimes have decayed into authoritarian rule? And what are the origins of presidential power in modern Russia? Thomas M. Nichols argues that the answer lies in the relationship between political institutions and trust: where society, and consequently politics, is fractious and divided, structural safeguards inherent in presidentialism actually serve to strengthen democratic behavior. The Russian presidency is not the cause of social turmoil in Russia, but rather a successful response to it. This book’s emphasis on the social origins of Russian politics explains not only the unexpected survival of Russian democracy, but encourages a reconsideration of the relationship between institutions, social conditions, and democracy. This revised and expanded edition also includes new sections on the election and presidency of Vladimir Putin, and considers the question of how the arrival of the Putin era will affect the futher consolidation of the Russian democracy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Nichols has done us all a service by advancing an important argument... No future study of Russian politics will be complete without reference to his insistence that presidentialism is not such a bad thing after all. Europe-Asian Studies

About the Author

Thomas M. Nichols is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Naval War College and an Associate of the Davis Center for Russian Studies at Harvard University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (September 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312293372
• ISBN-13: 978-0312293376
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,637,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Russians Trusting Russians, January 5, 2000

By 

T.Hengeveld (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Russian Presidency: Society and Politics in the Second Russian Republic (Hardcover)

Tom Nichols book is a wonderfully challenging but comfortably readable analysis of the role of presidentialism in holding together Russia's fragile democracy. He provides enough background for capable but untutored readers like myself to understand his thesis, but never so much that you feel like you're in an introductory course. Read the footnotes. The long ones not only contribute to a lay reader's overall understanding of the subject, but on occasion are downright funny. A wonderful book.