60675

PRIOR SYLLABUS. SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CONTACT INSTRUCTOR FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS.

AIS 95/195

Summer, 2008 Waterman, Rm. 417

Prof. K. McKenna Office Hrs.: MWF after class or by appointment

“Mafia & Capitalism—Russian Style: „Oligarchs‟ and „State Corruption‟ in Today‟s Russia”

GOALS: This course will seek to elucidate the tortuous path of “capitalism” in post-Soviet Russia with special attention devoted to the following topics: the rise of mafia, the privatization of Soviet industry, the emergence of the banking “oligarchs,” the 1995 “loan for shares” scheme, the 1998 collapse of the Russian economy, President Vladimir Putin‟s apparent moves in the direction of “state capitalism,” an assessment of social, economic, and political developments during Putin‟s two terms as President, and the Putin/Medvedev diarchy.

READINGS: Nikolai Gogol, The Government Inspector. Marshall I. Goldman, The Piratization of Russia: Russian Reform Goes Awry (New York: Routledge, 2003). David E. Hoffman, The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia (New York: Public Affairs, 2003). Weekly handout assignments Online Subscriptions to JRL and RFE for daily digests of political and economic events in Russia. k BAILEY HOWE RESERVE:

Maxim Boycko, Andrei Shleifer, Privatizing Russia (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1997). Chrystia Freeland, Sale of the Century: Russia’s Wild Ride from Communism to Capitalism (New York: Crown Publishers, 2000).

GRADING: Class participation in weekly discussion; current events articles brought to class for presentation and discussion

20%

Take-home midterm essay (6-8 pages)

40%

Take-home final essay

40%

(8-10 pages)

*Optional research project in place of take-home essays

80%

Syllabus of Weekly Readings Jan. 19th: Introduction to Course; Discussion of goals, grading, readings; Introductory th lecture on “The Rise of the Soviet Union in the 20 Century—Socio-economic Theory and Economic Theory of the Five-Year Plan model.” Jan. 26th: “Rossiiu umom ne poniat‟: Understanding Soviet and post-Soviet Reality through Russian Culture;” READ: Nikolai Gogol‟s “The Government Inspector.” Feb. 2nd: Introductory lecture on “‟Razval‟: The Political and Economic Collapse of the USSR, 1975-1991”; “The Gorbachev Factor in Soviet Economic Reforms. READ: Handelman, Introduction—“Horse Without a Bridle,” Chapter 6, “The Criminal State,” Chapter 7, “Post-Soviet Man,” Chapter 9, “Masters of Moscow.” Feb.9th: “‟Shock Therapy‟: President Yeltsin‟s and Prime Minister Gaidar‟s Early Attempts at Economic Reform.” READ: Hoffman, Prologue and Chapter 1, “Shadows and Shortages” and Chapter 8, “Unlocking the Treasure”; Klebnikov, Chapter 2, “The Collapse of the Old Regime” and Chapter 3, “Traders‟ Paradise.” th

Feb. 16 : “The First Round of „Privatization,‟ 1992-1994: Who Won and Who Lost?” READ: Klebnikov, Chapter 3, “Traders‟ Paradise” and Chapter 4, “Selling the Country for Vouchers;” and Handelman, Chapter 5, “Life and Death on the Russian Frontier.” Feb. 23rd: I will be giving a lecture on Russian crime and corruption at Indiana University this day, so there will not be a class meeting. Please keep up on your course reading. Mar. 2nd: “‟Vory v zakone‟: The Rise of the Russian Mafia—Part I.” READ: Klebnikov, Chapter 1, “The Great Mob War;” Handelman, Chapter 1, “Thieves World,”

Chapter 2, “Vor,” Chapter 3, “Mozhaisky Embankment.” ***DISTRIBUTION OF MID-TERM TAKE-HOME ESSAY QUESTIONS. th

March 9 “The Russian Mafia—Part II.” READ: Handelman, Chapter 4, “Comrade Criminal,” Chapter 9, “Masters of Moscow,” Chapter 10, “They Can Shoot, They Can Kill,” Chapter 11, “The Smugglers;” Klebnikov, Chapter 5, “The Listyev Murder.”

th

Mar. 16 “The Effects of the Russian Mafia on Social and Economic Life in Today‟s Russia—Part III.” Read: Handelman, Chapter 12, “Narco-Biznes,” Chapter 13, “The Guns of Grozny,” Chapter 14, “Red Army Bazaar,” Chapter 15, “The Baltic Connection.” Midterm essay question due in class tonight

rd

Mar. 23 :

SPRING BREAK

(Keep up on your reading assignments.)

March 30th: “The Banking „Mafia‟ and the „Semibankirshchina‟—The Rise of Russia‟s „Oligarchs.‟” READ: Klebnikov, Chapter 6, “Privatizing the Profits of Aeroflot;” Handelman, Chapter 16, “The Evil Empire Revisited,” Chapter 17, “Cops and Commisars;” Hoffman, Chapter 4, “Anatoly Chubais,” Chapter 6, “Boris Bere-zovsky,” and Chapter 7, Vladimir Gusinsky;” Apr. 6th: “The „Loan for Shares‟ Scheme: The Russian „Oligarchs,‟ Part II.” READ: Hoffman, Chapter 2, “Alexander Smolensky,” Chapter 3, “Yuryi Luzhkov,” and Chapter 5, “Mikhail Khodorovsky;” Klebnikov, Chapter 7, “The Race for Oil,” Chapter 9, “Oligarchy;” Handelman, Chapter 19, “The Chinatown Gang.” ***DISTRIBUTION OF FINAL TAKE-HOME ESSAY QUESTIONS. th

Apr. 13 “The Second Stage of Privatization: 1995-1997.” READ: Hoffman, Chapter 11, “The Club on Sparrow Hills,” Chapter 12, “The Embrace of Wealth and Power;” Apr. 20th: “The „State‟ as Criminal—Russian-Style” and “The August 17th 1998 Collapse of the Russian Ruble: The Fate of Foreign Investments.” READ: Handelman, Chapter 20, “Who Lost Russia;” Hoffman, Chapter 13, “Saving Boris Yeltsin,” and Chapter 14, “The Bankers‟ War,” and Chapter 15, “The Roar of the Dragons Apr. 27th: “The Rise of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin: Prospects for „State Capitalism.‟” READ: Klebnikov, “Chapter 10, “Vladimir Putin Takes Power,” “Epilogue;” Hoffman, “Chapter 16, “Hardball and Silver Bullets,” and “Epilogue;” The Khodorkovsky/Yukos Affair and its aftermath, April, 2006; the rise of the new Russian

state under Putin, 2000-2006 and its impact on organized state crime and Russian business. Concluding remarks and discussion. Final essay due in class tonight.