The Dual State in Russia

Abstract

Russia today is characterized by two competing political orders. The first is the constitutional state, regulated by law and enshrining the normative values of the democratic movement of the late Soviet period and contemporary liberal democracies, populated by political parties, parliament, and representative movements and regulated by electoral and associated laws. The second is the administrative regime, which has emerged as a tutelary order standing outside the normative state although not repudiating its principles. Drawing on the political science literature to develop a dual-state model, this article examines the regime system—its constituent elements and dynamics—to provide a better theorized framework for understanding the dynamics of regime politics.