Russia Under Putin: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Issue Date July 2000
Volume 11
Issue 3
Page Numbers 19-33
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Read the full essay here.

Does the election of Vladimir Putin as Russia’s president represent a fundamental turn away from democracy or merely a temporary setback? Although Putin’s apparent indifference to democracy is worrisome, it would be premature to conclude that democracy is lost in Russia.

About the Author

Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, is professor of political science at Stanford University, director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. His most recent book is From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia (2018).

View all work by Michael McFaul

Further Reading

Volume 32, Issue 3

How Authoritarians Inflate Their Image

Authoritarian propaganda and manipulation are leading democratic publics to see foreign autocracies as more powerful than they actually are.

Volume 17, Issue 2

The “Mystery” of the Soviet Collapse

There was nothing inevitable about the unraveling of Soviet communism. The role played by individuals such as Aleksandr Yakovlev was crucial.

Volume 28, Issue 4

The Kremlin Emboldened: How Putin Wins Support

Read the full essay here. The Kremlin’s ability to maintain power and popularity despite an aging leader, an ailing economy, a rallying opposition, and many other domestic and international challenges…