The Myth of Putin's Success

{
  "authors": [
    "Michael McFaul",
    "Kathryn Stoner-Weiss"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie Europe"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "russia",
  "programs": [
    "Russia and Eurasia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Caucasus",
    "Russia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Democracy",
    "Economy",
    "Trade",
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

In The Media

The Myth of Putin's Success

Carnegie Senior Associate Michael McFaul takes on the conventional wisdom that Vladimir Putin's tight-fisted rule has been behind the economic growth and stability over the past seven years. "The emergence of Russian democracy in the 1990s did indeed coincide with state breakdown and economic decline, but it did not cause either," McFaul writes.

By Michael McFaul and Kathryn Stoner-Weiss

Published on Dec 13, 2007

Source: International Herald Tribune

Michael McFaulCarnegie Senior Associate Michael McFaul takes on the conventional wisdom that Vladimir Putin's tight-fisted rule has been behind the economic growth and stability over the past seven years. "The emergence of Russian democracy in the 1990s did indeed coincide with state breakdown and economic decline, but it did not cause either," McFaul writes. "The reemergence of Russian autocracy under Putin, conversely, has coincided with tremendous economic growth but did not cause it. If anything, Putin's autocratic turn over the last several years has reduced gains from what they would have been had democracy survived."

Click here to read the article.

About the Authors

Michael McFaul

Former Senior Associate

In addition to his role at Carnegie, McFaul is Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and associate professor of political science at Stanford University.

Kathryn Stoner-Weiss

Political Reform Democracy Economy Trade Foreign Policy Caucasus Russia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Commentary
Emissary
The Iran War Is Also Now a Semiconductor Problem
The conflict is exposing the deep energy vulnerabilities of Korea’s chip industry.
Darcie Draudt-Véjares, Tim Sahay
Commentary
Emissary
The Other Global Crisis Stemming From the Strait of Hormuz’s Blockage
Even if the Iran war stops, restarting production and transport for fertilizers and their components could take weeks—at a crucial moment for planting.
Noah Gordon, Lucy Corthell
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Taking the Pulse: Is France’s New Nuclear Doctrine Ambitious Enough?
French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his country’s new nuclear doctrine. Are the changes he has made enough to reassure France’s European partners in the current geopolitical context?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
Commentary
The Iran War’s Dangerous Fallout for Europe
The drone strike on the British air base in Akrotiri brings Europe’s proximity to the conflict in Iran into sharp relief. In the fog of war, old tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean risk being reignited, and regional stakeholders must avoid escalation.
Marc Pierini
Paper
India’s Foreign Policy in the Age of Populism
Domestic mobilization, personalized leadership, and nationalism have reshaped India’s global behavior.
Sandra Destradi

The Myth of Putin's Success

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Commentary

Emissary

The Iran War Is Also Now a Semiconductor Problem

The conflict is exposing the deep energy vulnerabilities of Korea’s chip industry.

Darcie Draudt-Véjares, Tim Sahay

One man tossing a sack to another to stack on a truck

Commentary

Emissary

The Other Global Crisis Stemming From the Strait of Hormuz’s Blockage

Even if the Iran war stops, restarting production and transport for fertilizers and their components could take weeks—at a crucial moment for planting.

Noah Gordon, Lucy Corthell

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Taking the Pulse: Is France’s New Nuclear Doctrine Ambitious Enough?

French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his country’s new nuclear doctrine. Are the changes he has made enough to reassure France’s European partners in the current geopolitical context?

Rym Momtaz, ed.

Commentary

The Iran War’s Dangerous Fallout for Europe

The drone strike on the British air base in Akrotiri brings Europe’s proximity to the conflict in Iran into sharp relief. In the fog of war, old tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean risk being reignited, and regional stakeholders must avoid escalation.

Marc Pierini

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wearing an orange cap, and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, dressed in saffron robes, are greeting supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a roadshow ahead of the Indian General Elections in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, on April 6, 2024.

Paper

India’s Foreign Policy in the Age of Populism

Domestic mobilization, personalized leadership, and nationalism have reshaped India’s global behavior.

Sandra Destradi