Tracing the course of reform in your subject area in the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods.

Identify one set of domestic issues (Russian Economic Reform 2000-2013) which Russia has confronted in its post Soviet transition. Undertake a case study, using the issue, to explore the nature of the political transition Russia is undergoing. Undertake a case study of the issue by: 1. Defining the criteria for democratization, using the key elements of democracy affected by your case study. 2. Briefly identifying the Soviet legacy. 3. Tracing the course of reform in your subject area in the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods. 4. Examining opposition and resistance to reform. 5. Assessing the contribution of developments in your issue area to the post-Soviet transition. In what ways have reforms contributed toward or limited the development and consolidation of democracy? 6. What type of political regime do you see emerging on the basis of the evidence in your case study? These are helpful sources for information. P. Rutland, “The Rocky Road from Plan to Market” in S. White, et. al., Developments in Russian Politics, 4th edition, Chapter 8 (R) S. White, Chapter 11(T) Vladimir Shlapentokh, “Corruption, the power of state and big business in Soviet and post-Soviet regimes”, Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 46 (2013) 147–158 (e-journal) Michael Rochlitz, “Corporate raiding and the role of the state in Russia”, Post-Soviet Affairs, 2014 Vol. 30, Nos. 2–3, 89–114 (e-journal) Michael Rochlitz, “At the Crossroads: Putin’s Third Presidential Term and Russia’s Institutions”, Political Studies Review, 2015, 13, 59–68