Russia's Political Economy Transformation (PZK_164)
About Study Course
Objective
This course will introduce students to the economic and political transformation of Russia from the early days of Yeltsin to current-day Putin. We will examine Yeltsin’s breakthrough transformation and key economic reforms of the 1990’s, as well as their early results ten years later. Then we will focus on Putin’s political trajectory; economic growth and development from 1999; the oligarchs; the energy sector, and Russia’s foreign policy in the near abroad and in Europe. We will conduct rigorous analysis of reform and policy design in post-Soviet Russia. Among the key topics are privatization and property rights, shadow economy and corruption, peculiarities of political system, and the model of capitalism that emerged in Russia as a result of transformation.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of economics, as well as general knowledge on Russia.
Learning outcomes
Students will understand the basic principles of Russian political economy and their inclusion in the theoretical concepts of political economy. Students will evaluate the most important stages of the development of the political economy of Russia's transformation. Students will distinguish the basic principles of political economy and apply them in practice.
Students will independently conduct a comparative study of the Russian political economy transformation processes, critically selecting information sources, as well as presenting their conclusions and answering questions in discussions with the lecturer and other students. Students will explain the Russian political economy processes in an argumentative and in-depth way and model the tendencies of Russian political economy.
Students will develop papers based on the interdisciplinary scientific literature on political science and economics. Students will appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of these complex problems and combine political science and economics research methods and assumptions.
