The fall of the Communist regime in the Soviet Union was more than a political event.
interaction and fusion between politics and economics that characterized the state socialist system created .
a situation that was unique for the successor states of the Soviet Union. The penetration of the .
Communist regime into every facet of life left the Russian people with little democratic traditions. Russia .
faces the seemingly impracticable task of economic liberalization and democratization. This is combined .
with a necessity to answer nationalist and ethnic questions that have plagued Russia for centuries. .
This paper addresses the problems of creating a stable democracy in Russia. The prospects for a stable .
democracy in Russia are limited at best. I will outline some of the concerns that academics have in the .
consolidation of Russian democracy. What is paramount to note is that a stable democracy must .
adequately address what Ken Jowitt calls the "developmental trinity-: nation-building; capitalism and .
democracy. The dilemma that is especially relevant to Russia it that these conditions are often .
contradictory. The often messy business of politically reconstructing a nation defies traditional .
democratic ideals. The establishment of democratic institutions can hinder the development of a market .
economy and, conversely, programs that are designed to enhance capitalist expansion often are .
antagonistic towards democratic goals (Jowitt 7). These seemingly endless Catch-22's are at the heart of .
difficulties facing Russia in its attempt to create a stable democracy.
The Process of Creating A Nation-State.
The question of who is the playing the game and what makes the playing field is an important one for the .
Russian Federation. Ethnic and nationalist questions plagued the Soviet Union and continue to stress the .
Russia Federation during its nascent period. The dynamics of center-periphery relations provides Moscow .