RUSSIA’S ‘MANAGED DEMOCRACY’ IN 2000S: HOW INFORMAL POLITICS CONTRIBUTED?

Abstract

Russian Politics since 1990 witnessed an essential change which was expected to be ademocratic transition. However, Putin’s presidency beginning with 2000 represented aturning mainly depending on the power vertical. This study aims at clarifying functionsof informal politics in the construction and operation of Russia’s Managed Democracysince 2000. Through identifying practical responses to theoretical considerations I triedto put forward how the informal networks that traced back to Soviet period and Yeltsin’spresidency shaped political life of today’s Russia. Since it is hard to identify informalpolitical networks, the findings of this study could only reach those evidence that werepublicly declared or accepted by those in power.