The sudden arrival of massive energy wealth during Putin's long reign has turned Russia's focus to resources, with some good and some very bad results. Considering why the good—a windfall of money to pay debts and put the country's finances in order—has been so overshadowed by the bad—resource dependence, reliance on rents, and unbridled corruption—Stefan Hedlund explores the many dimensions of Russia's energy policies and politics.
Stefan Hedlund is professor of Russian studies at Uppsala University. His recent publications include
Invisible Hands, Russian Experience, and Social Science: Approaches to Understanding Systemic Failure and
Russian Path Dependence. He frequently contributes his expertise to
Geopolitical Information Service, who provides knowledge and insights on geopolitics and geopolitical trends for international corporations, governments, and other institutions.
"A well-written and highly accessible analysis of Russia's current political and economic systems with a focus on the development of the energy industry at the heart of both."—Robert Orttung, George Washington University
"An impressive achievement…. Accessible, well organized, and informed by contemporary scholarly debates."—Adam Stulberg, Georgia Institute of Technology