Russian Politics: A Very Short Introduction

Russia is rarely out of the news, yet Russian politics can be difficult to understand. This Very Short Introduction provides a guide to understanding Russian politics that goes beyond the headlines and offers a vivid account of the key forces driving them. Brian Taylor provides a concise and accessible overview that places Russia in a global context while explaining its internal political development. The discussion balances the role of enduring forces such as history, geography, and global status, with the dramatic influence of powerful individual leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin.

Brian D. Taylor is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He is the author of several books on Russian politics, including The Code of Putinism and State Building in Putin's Russia: Policing and Coercion after Communism.