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Crony Capitalism and Democracy: Paradoxes of Electoral Competition in Russia's Regions

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posted on 2024-06-28, 15:55 authored by Gulnaz Sharafutdinova
Abstract The phenomenon of crony capitalism has been explored primarily with reference to its impact on economic growth. This study investigates the political implications of crony capitalism and, specifically, the interaction between political competition and crony capitalism. Based on a case study of political trajectories in two regions of the Russian Federation, I argue that under crony capitalism political competition can undermine the legitimacy of state authorities and such democratic institutions as the electoral mechanism. Played out in public during electoral campaigns, unrestricted political competition uncovers the predatory nature of crony elites engaged in struggle for power and wealth. Paradoxically, the electoral process itself gets discredited as an essential part of the overall institutional order in the process. Noncompetitive political systems avoid such negative tendencies, at least in the short run. Resumen El fenómeno del capitalismo de amigos (crony capitalism) ha sido explorado principalmente con referencia a su impacto sobre el desarrollo económico. Este estudio investiga las implicancias políticas del capitalismo de amigos y, específicamente, la interacción entre la competencia política y el capitalismo de amigos. Con base en un estudio de caso de las trayectorias políticas en dos regiones de la federación rusa, sostengo que bajo el capitalismo de amigos la competencia política puede minar la legitimidad de las autoridades estatales y de instituciones democráticas tales como el mecanismo electoral. La competencia política irrestricta, desplegada en público durante las campañas electorales, devela la naturaleza predatoria de las elites envueltas en una lucha por el poder y la riqueza. Paradójicamente, durante este proceso el mecanismo electoral mismo se desacredita como una parte esencial del orden institucional general. Los sistemas políticos no competitivos eluden estas tendencias negativas, al menos en el corto plazo.

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Russian Federation

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