Can Russia Modernise? Sistema, Power Networks and Informal Governance

by Alena V. Ledeneva

In this original, bottom-up account of the evolution of contemporary Russia, Alena Ledeneva seeks to reveal how informal power operates. Concentrating on Vladimir Putin's system of governance referred to as sistema she identifies four key types of networks: his inner circle, useful friends, core contacts and more diffuse ties and connections. These networks serve sistema but also serve themselves. Reliance on networks enables leaders to mobilise and to control, yet they also lock politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen into informal deals, mediated interests and personalised loyalty. This is the 'modernisation trap of informality': one cannot use the potential of informal networks without triggering their negative long-term consequences for institutional development. Ledeneva's perspective on informal power is based on in-depth interviews with sistema insiders and enhanced by evidence of its workings brought to light in court cases, enabling her to draw broad conclusions about the prospects for Russia's political institutions.

Genres: Russia, Politics, Political Science, History, Nonfiction

327 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Petras · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read book for those who want to understand how 'sistema' in Russia works and how it is governed. Highly recommended.

[Eric Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes you out of the politics of Russia (but you're reading parts of it anyway due to the often -mentioned Putin) and brings you to Sistema. Sistema is just a way for the oligarchs to run the country of Russia and use it to their advantage, which is what I pretty much gathered. Overall the book is informative, if a little on the sometimes I drifted off and "read" the book. Overall the book is good nonetheless, and was a good read that was for sure. It's not an exhaustive, but nearly exhaustive look at how Sistema affects Russia and the people that live in the country.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did a great job of taking a complex subject and working it into a narrative that made it easy to understand and interesting.

It’s difficult for me to ascribe any criticism to her work because she thoroughly covered her topic through a widely-accepted practice of academic research. Some chapters cite upwards of 80 sources and any questions that arise in the readers minds are answered promptly, smoothly transitioning from one difficult, complex topic to another. Whenever a hole in the research seems to arise, Ledevena describes her process and why the information could not be gathered. Given the secretive, high-profile nature of her topic, I found these gaps predictable, but much fewer and farther between than I expected. I take that as a sign of her diligent research and years patiently dedicated to understanding the governmental processes of Russia. For example, she not only gathers evidence of the ideas she’s supporting, she’s careful to make those instances representative. In her chapter about the informal systems governing judicial practices, she mentions that her first few examples are high profile, unusual cases, so she moves on to dive into some second tier cases as well.