ABSTRACT
Theories of why the economy is not prospering, why the federation has tended towards fragmentation and of how stable democracy is in Russia often underscore the lack of integration among the elites. The contributions of Alexandr Yanov, Mancur Olson and John Higley referred to in previous chapters reflect a variety of perspectives, but all of them highlight the importance of elite cohesiveness for economic reforms and political stability. They argue that the degree of elite integration affected political and economic reforms during the Soviet period and political stability, not just in post-communist Russia, but also during the Soviet period as well. But what is elite cohesiveness?
