Description
Corruption and the Russian Economy examines why the number of entrepreneurs is declining so rapidly in contemporary Russia, how many economic opportunities are being irrevocably lost each year because of administrative corruption, and why entrepreneurship has become one of the most dangerous occupations in the country over the last decade. Based on extensive research, including in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs and case studies, it reveals a corrupt system of government agencies at both the regional and local levels, and the increasing involvement of public officials in unlawful seizures of businesses. One major conclusion is that the vast majority of informal payments by entrepreneurs to regulatory agencies are made not to achieve illegal advantages, but rather to secure the property rights that they are entitled to under the law.
Table of Contents
Contents
List of illustrations
About the author
Acknowledgements
1 Introduction: Endangered entrepreneurs and their struggle for survival in contemporary Russia
2 From state capture to "market capture": The Russian entrepreneurial environment
3 From kleptocracy to "regulocracy": Administrative barriers to doing business in Russia
4 "No grease, no ride": Facilitation payments in the relations between entrepreneurs and regulatory agencies
5 "Stand and deliver, your money or your life": Illegal raiding against businesses by public officials
6 "Entrepreneurial spring": Collective resistance to administrative corruption
7 Conclusion: Protecting endangered entrepreneurs
Appendix 1: Interview questions
Appendix 2: Survey questions
Index
