Ebook: Putin and Putinism

After two terms as president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin handed over to his hand-picked successor Dmitri Medvedev on 7 May 2008, and became prime minister. As president, Putin moved swiftly and effectively to overcome the chaotic legacy of his predecessor, post-Soviet Russia's first president Boris Yeltsin. Focusing on rebuilding the authority of the Russian state, and taking advantage of the rise in world prices of the country's main asset - oil and natural gas - Putin won unassailable popularity at home and caused apprehension around the world, particularly in Russia's immed.;Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; Notes on Contributors; Abstracts; Introduction: Perspectives on Putin; Acknowledgements; 1. Rus United; Castles; Leadership versus Ideology; State Mercantilism and the State-nation; Notes; 2. Big Money as an Obstacle to Democracy in Russia; Introduction; The Standard of Living and Political Behaviour in Russia; Oil Prices and Changes in the Well-being of the Masses; The Official Policy of Encouraging an Easy and Merry Life; The De-democratization of Russian Society; The Friendly Passivity of the Masses.