Russian Politics Today Stability and Fragility

Inequality in Russia skyrocketed in the 1990s. The wealthiest businesspeople became oligarchs while average Russians struggled to cover the cost of their basic needs. In this chapter, we examine the rise of inequality in postcommunist Russia, and the role that social services – like healthcare, education, and pensions – played in socioeconomic wellbeing. This chapter details the evolution of inequality and public opinion about economic issues. We show that, with increasing inequality, the provision of social services and other public goods suffered due to the government’s lack of capacity and finances. In the 2000s, Putin ushered in a period of rising oil prices and better economic performance. Inequality has decreased to some degree in recent decades, and the provision of social services has dramatically improved since the early 2000s. After the 2009 financial crisis, a renewed period of stagnation began, and a number of protracted problems in the provision of public goods persist. We discuss some social policy promises that have been unfulfilled in the lead-up to Putin’s fourth election in 2018, and the consistently low level of spending on social services. These unfilled promises matter because they affect everyday realities for many Russian citizens and raise the question whether economic inequality and poor public services may influence regime stability in Russia in the long run. Survey research suggests, though, that poor economic conditions and lacking social services have so far frustrated, but only rarely enraged the Russian public and are unlikely to undermine support for the regime on their own. Whether socioeconomic factors contribute to stability or fragility in Russia today depends on how these issues are utilized by the political opposition.