ABSTRACT
Russia is still not meeting the basic standards of a viable democracy; the economy is characterised more by immature capitalism that benefits a few than by fair market principles and legal thinking; during the last decade farreaching decentralisation has brought the Russian Federation to the brink of disintegration; and governance is infused by clientelism and personal networks more than by a belief in rational bureaucracy. Why is it so difficult to establish a well-functioning state in Russia? The literature offers a variety of answers: Russian society is not prepared for Western-style democracy; economic reforms have taken the form of ‘shocks’ without ‘therapy’; the country’s leaders are unskilled and in the grip of big business; the legacy of the past continues to influence thinking and behaviour; or else, there is a deliberate international conspiracy to destroy Russia.
