Rich with data available in no other source, this is the first comprehensive study of the allocation of state and public financial resources in the Russian Federation. Working with the Russian Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Taxes and Duties, and the Russian Statistical Agency, the authors have compiled a dynamic analysis of financial flows between the center and the units of the federation, including both budgetary redistribution and off-budget outlays (e.g., for social insurance and pensions). Among the problems documented in the analysis are the very high differentiation of the regions in terms of levels of development, public welfare, and self-sufficiency; inefficiencies in the taxation system and the prevalence of barter; and the non-transparency of money flows and their role in corruption.

The contributors to this volume analyze the present state of the Russian economy and its future prospects - which now seem brighter than at any previous time in the country's history. The Russian economy is now showing positive GDP growth and a positive balance of payments, portending a trend of sustained growth. The record of the Putin presidency with respect to the establishment of market-friendly legal and administrative environments is substantially positive. On the other side of the ledger, the contributors identify the persistence of monopolies in energy, transportation, and agriculture; distortions resulting from corruption, infrastructural inadequacies, and the maldistribution of political power and decision-making authority; demographic decline and the erosion of human capital as manifested in the health, education, and welfare of the population. Russia's successful development as a democratic society with a market economy is of great importance to its neighbors and to the global economy, and specifically to the United States, which is why the U.S. Congress commissioned these studies by expert analysts. This edition includes a comprehensive subject index, making the volume user-friendly.

The Russian economy is now showing positive GDP growth and a positive balance of payments, portending a trend of sustained growth. The contributors to this volume analyze the present state of the Russian economy and its future prospects which now seem brighter than ever.

This title was first published in 2002.The importance of institutions for transition economies has so far been overlooked; Michael Cuddy and Ruvin Gekker bring together leading experts in the field to fill this crucial void in the literature. The contributors concentrate on an ongoing tension between informal constraints and mechanisms and the new formal rules and mechanisms that have gradually evolved through the transition period. Experiences are primarily drawn from Russia. The book consists of three parts, the first comprising an analysis, synthesis and generalizations of the institutional adaptations, as a market economy slowly emerges from a fog of shifting rules and varying interpretations. This is followed by the study of business and taxation authorities’ behavior as they try to minimize or maximize the taxation take. The volume also analyzes the challenges facing central and regional governments in delivering equitable levels of public services across regions of vastly different development levels, while at the same time trying to stimulate regional economic growth.

Presents a distinctive collection of political, geographical and economic information on the 89 constituent units of the Russian Federation. This survey offers an insight into the often neglected regional dimension of the politics and economy of the Federation. It includes: * Individual territory surveys * Geographical, historical, economic and directory data * Some 100 current maps. Background to the Federation * An essay covering the region as a whole analyzes the relationship between the territories and the Federation * A chronology of Russia from the 9th century to the end of 2001 * Statistics of major demographic and economic indicators * Details of the Government of the Russian Federation Territorial Surveys Each territorial chapter includes: * A map, plus geographical and demographic information * Historical details, followed by a description of the current political situation * An economic survey presenting the latest available statistics * A directory of names and addresses of the leading political and administrative officials.

Presents a distinctive collection of political, geographical and economic information on the 89 constituent units of the Russian Federation.

In this original study of intellectual property rights (IPR) in relation to state capacity, Dimitrov analyzes this puzzle by offering the first systematic analysis of all IPR enforcement avenues in China, across all IPR subtypes. He shows that the extremely high volume of enforcement provided for copyrights and trademarks is unfortunately of a low quality, and as such serves only to perpetuate IPR violations. In the area of patents, however, he finds a low volume of high-quality enforcement. In light of these findings, the book develops a theory of state capacity that conceptualizes the Chinese state as simultaneously weak and strong. The book draws on extensive fieldwork in China and five other countries, as well as on 10 unique IPR enforcement datasets that exploit previously unexplored sources, including case files of private investigation firms.

The Soviet Union created a unique form of urban modernity, developing institutions of social provisioning for hundreds of millions of people in small and medium-sized industrial cities spread across a vast territory. After the collapse of socialism these institutions were profoundly shaken--casualties, in the eyes of many observers, of market-oriented reforms associated with neoliberalism and the Washington Consensus. In Post-Soviet Social, Stephen Collier examines reform in Russia beyond the Washington Consensus. He turns attention from the noisy battles over stabilization and privatization during the 1990s to subsequent reforms that grapple with the mundane details of pipes, wires, bureaucratic routines, and budgetary formulas that made up the Soviet social state. Drawing on Michel Foucault's lectures from the late 1970s, Post-Soviet Social uses the Russian case to examine neoliberalism as a central form of political rationality in contemporary societies. The book's basic finding--that neoliberal reforms provide a justification for redistribution and social welfare, and may work to preserve the norms and forms of social modernity--lays the groundwork for a critical revision of conventional understandings of these topics.

"Not only are Russia's regions economically diverse, but the policies that regional governments have adopted to deal with the strains of economic transition also vary widely. Some regions have generally embraced market reforms, while others have sought to preserve enclaves of socialism, with price restrictions, large subsidies, and barriers to trade." Reforms of Russia's budgetary system at the subnational level are vital to preserve macroeconomic stability, improve the efficiency and accountability of government, and enhance incentives for local and regional governments to vigorously support economic growth. Previous analytical and reform efforts have focused on possible changes at the federal level and in the system of center-region relations. An opportunity now exists to make progress by providing reform advice and conditional aid to policymakers at the regional and subregional level. This report focuses on opportunities for reform at the subnational level. It reviews recent trends in fiscal adjustment, budgeting, and government debt at the regional and local levels in Russia. It analyzes major problems and suggests a number of measures and performance indicators that could form part of a reform strategy initiated by the Government of Russia.