Choosing between bureaucracy and the reformers: the Russian pension reform of 2001 as a compromise squared

Is compromise always a good thing for policymaking? Conventional wisdom suggests that it is: it allows for the moderation of radically opposing positions and attempts to reconcile conflicting preferences in a way that best satisfies all parties. But faced with such a question when it comes to socio-economic reforms and policy changes in certain areas, it is quite natural to find oneself puzzled and without a ready-made answer.