State Building in Putin}}}s Russia Policing and Coercion after Communism [Paperback]

This book argues that Vladimir Putin's strategy for rebuilding the Russian state was fundamentally flawed.This book is about Vladimir Putin's efforts to strengthen the Russian state. Showing that many of the weaknesses of the Russian state that existed under Boris Yeltsin persisted under Putin, it argues that that Putin's strategy for rebuilding the state was fundamentally flawed. It focuses in particular on Russia's law enforcement and security bureaucracies, often seen as the key base of support for Putin's rule.This book is about Vladimir Putin's efforts to strengthen the Russian state. Showing that many of the weaknesses of the Russian state that existed under Boris Yeltsin persisted under Putin, it argues that that Putin's strategy for rebuilding the state was fundamentally flawed. It focuses in particular on Russia's law enforcement and security bureaucracies, often seen as the key base of support for Putin's rule.Building a strong Russian state was the central goal of Vladimir Putin's presidency. This book argues that Putin's strategy for rebuilding the state was fundamentally flawed. Taylor demonstrates that a disregard for the way state officials behave toward citizens  state quality  had a negative impact on what the state could do  state capacity. Focusing on those organizations that control state coercion, what Russians call the power ministries, Taylor shows that many of the weaknesses of the Russian state that existed under Boris Yeltsin persisted under Putin. Drawing on extensive field research and interviews, as well as a wide range of comparative data, the book reveals the practices and norms that guide the behavior of Russian power ministry officials (the so-called siloviki), especially law enforcement personnel. By examining siloviki behavior from the Kremlin down to the street level, State Building in Putin's Russia uncovers the who, where, and how of Russian state building after communism.1. Bringing the gun back in: coercion and the state;lCt