Weak strongman : the limits of power in Putin's Russia / Timothy Frye.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Frye, Timothy, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich, 1952---Influence.

Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich.

Russia (Federation)--Politics and government--21st century.

Russia (Federation).

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2021]

Summary:

"Even as Russia's prominence and importance in global affairs has increased, media discussion tends analyze Russian politics in one of two ways: as a direct manifestation of Putin's will, or through the lens of Russia's unique history and culture. In fixating on these interpretative lenses that emphasize Russia "exceptional," we fail to recognize that its policies and practices are actually remarkably similar to those of other autocracies around the world. Drawing from decades of research and field work and from time spent in Russia as part of the US foreign service, Frye demonstrates how a broader lens gives us a much better way to interpret and predict Russian's political behavior. Specifically, this comparative approach helps illuminate the underappreciated limits to power in Putin's Russia. Like other autocracies, Putin and his government face important tradeoffs (implement policies that help the elites and risk a popular uprising? Or implement popular policies and risk an elite coup?) that limit his power and force him to use a much broader set of tools than just the repression. Synthesizing a wealth of social science in a lively, accessible type, Frye shows how this framing can help answer some central questions: is Putin actually popular in Russia, or is his popularity a result of propaganda or coercion? How does repression function in Russia? If and how are Russia's elections manipulated-and why is Russia now focused on interfering with elections abroad? The answers, Frye shows, help us understand how much we miss when we focus solely on Putin in understanding Russia today"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Weak strongman

1 Information Warrior

2 Putinology and Exceptional Russia

3 The Autocrat’s Dilemmas

4 Better to Be Feared and Loved: President Putin’s Popularity

5 The Surprising Importance of Russia’s Manipulated Elections

6 Neither as Strong nor as Weak as It Looks: Russia’s Economy

7 Hitting Them with Carrots: The Role of Repression

8 Mysterious Ways: Media Manipulation at Home

9 Great Power Posing: Russian Foreign Policy

10 Why Russia Hacks: Digital Persuasion and Coercion Abroad

11 Conclusion: The Death of Expertise

Acknowledgments

Notes

Index

A NOTE ON THE TYPE

Notes:

GOBI

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691246284

0691246289

9780691216997

0691216991

9780691216980

0691216983

OCLC:

1245329634