ABSTRACT
ThedefeatoftheAugust1991offensiveoftheoldnomenklaturawouldseemto haveclearedthewayfordemocraticreformsinRussia.Butitwouldtakeanother fourmonthsbeforetheRussianleadershipwouldundertaketocarryoutits programofeconomictransformations.Suchsluggishnessandindecisivenessare understandable.Thegovernment,basingitselfonthepowersofthepresidentof Russiaandwiththeconsentofmostmembersofparliament,choseastrategy thatcouldnotanddidnotreceivebroadsupportamongthepublic.Eventhenew entrepreneursandthedirectorsofstateenterprises,whowereorientedtoward vigorouseconomicactivity,begantoexpressdissatisfactionwithanumberof elementsofthenewprogram,particularlywiththetaxpolicy.However,an analysisofthenormativeactsthatwereadoptedstartinginNovemberoflast yearandofthefirstpracticalstepsundertakenbytheRussiangovernmentconfirmsthatitsintentionistostimulateprivateenterpriseatthecostofadeclinein thestandardoflivingandacurtailmentoftheworkingpeople'sconsumption. Thisis,infact,howtheessenceoftheneweconomicpolicywascharacterized byPresidentB.N.Yeltsinon28October1991,whenhecalledita"reformist breakthrough."
