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on Confederation of Independent States |
| By: | Olga Kuzmina (New Economic School); Natalya Volchkova (New Economic School); Tatiana Zueva (New Economic School) |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the effect of poor governance quality on foreign direct investment in Russia. Using a survey of businesses across forty administrative districts, we find that higher frequency of using illegal payments and higher pressure from regulatory agencies, enforcement authorities, and criminals, negatively affect foreign direct investment. Our identification strategy builds on the exogenous cross-regional variation in worker strikes during 1895-1914, the period before the October Revolution. We find that moving from the average to the top governance quality across Russian regions more than doubles the FDI stock. |
| Keywords: | foreign direct investment, quality of governance, corruption, Russia |
| JEL: | F21 G15 O17 |
| Date: | 2014–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cfr:cefirw:w0205&r=cis |
| By: | Elena B. Smilyanskaya (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | The Mediterranean policy of Catherine the Great gave rise to a discussion about how extreme her colonial ambitions in the Mediterranean were. This article argues against the theories that ‘the Greek idea’ was only a political game for Russia, that Russian activity on the Aegean islands was only military, and that the success of the Archipelago expedition (1769-1775) was primarily due to foreign support. It shows that Catherine II’s colonial ambitions were in fact rather limited compared to other powers of the period. Russia could not imagine having a colony in the eastern Mediterranean, but planned only a small military base surrounded by liberated self-governed Greek territories under the Catherine II’s protection. When the liberated Greek islands became an obstacle to enlarging Russian territory on the Black sea coast, however, they were exchanged, primarily for Crimea. |
| Keywords: | Catherine the Great, Southern Mediterranean, Greek liberation, philhellenism, Archipelago principality of Catherine II, Russo-Turkish wars, foreign policy of Russia |
| JEL: | Z |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:55hum2014&r=cis |
| By: | Boris K. Knorre (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | The paper analyzes ethical-behavioral categories of the contemporary Orthodox ecclesiastic culture in Russia to determine the correlation of the cultural paradigms of "oppression" and "empowerment" therein. The main emphasis is placed on revealing oppressive stereotypes, social action imperatives, social regulators present in the cultural model of Russian Orthodoxy which condition the processes opposing the "empowerment" strategy and reducing its social capital. The hypothesis proposed by the author in this paper is that the key socio-cultural attitude conditioning the system of oppressive-restrictive stereotypes of behavior in the ecclesiastic milieu is the prevalence of the awareness of culpability in the modern ecclesiastic ethos, a certain "culture of guilt". In this connection the author pays most attention to the category of "guilt" and its discontent in Orthodoxy. |
| Keywords: | ethical-behavioral preferences, cultural model, guilt, Church culture, oppressive attitudes, empowerment, Russian Orthodoxy |
| JEL: | Z |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:56hum2014&r=cis |
| By: | Rodrigo Fracalossi de Moraes |
| Abstract: | O propósito deste texto é analisar as experiências da Rússia e da França na intermediação estatal das vendas externas de equipamentos militares. Trata-se de atividade central para a manutenção da viabilidade da indústria de defesa destes dois países, em face da dependência que ambos possuem do mercado externo. Algumas das suas experiências podem ser fonte de lições para o Brasil, no momento em que o governo brasileiro sinalizou a intenção de criar um arranjo institucional dedicado ao exercício destas atividades. Na análise realizada, observou-se que as estruturas de intermediação da Rússia e da França são bastante distintas, destacando-se o caráter mais centralizador existente na Rússia. Contudo, um elemento comum é a oferta de “pacotes” de produtos, serviços, financiamentos e compensações, o qual parece ser um elemento importante na conquista/manutenção de mercados neste setor. The purpose of this article is to analyze the experiences of Russia and France regarding the state brokerage in the exports of weapons. Such activity is essential to maintain their defense industries’ viability, given the dependence that both have on the foreign market. Some of the experiences of these two countries may be a source of lessons for Brazil, at a time when the Brazilian government signals the creation of an institutional arrangement dedicated to carrying out these activities. In the analysis, it was observed that the institutional frameworks for the state brokerage in Russia and France are quite distinct, especially if one considers the greater degree of centralization of such activities in Russia. However, a common element is the provision of “packages” of products, services, funding and offsets – and this seems to be an important element in the conquest/maintenance of markets in this sector. |
| Date: | 2014–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipe:ipetds:1963&r=cis |
| By: | Oksana Zaporozhets (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | This paper focuses on a subway user, one of the main characters of mundane mobility in big cities. It is based on the field research conducted by the author in two Russian cities (Moscow and Kazan) in 2013-2014. The subway is considered not only as public transportation, but more broadly as a regulation tool that is used by homo mobilis to construct a wide network of relationships: with a city, with time, with one's daily activities. The notion of “affect management” - the urbanite's ability to manage their own emotional states and experiences - is suggested to describe the role of the subway in everyday life planning. |
| Keywords: | mundane mobility, subway, subway user, affect management, Moscow, Kazan |
| JEL: | Z |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:52hum2014&r=cis |
| By: | Rumen Dobrinsky (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Doris Hanzl-Weiss (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Gabor Hunya (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Sebastian Leitner (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Leon Podkaminer (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Sandor Richter (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Hermine Vidovic (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw) |
| Abstract: | Bulgaria negative economic sentiment prevails (by Rumen Dobrinsky) Croatia no upturn yet (by Hermine Vidovic) Czech Republic heading for a change (by Leon Podkaminer) Estonia consumers keep growth alive (by Sebastian Leitner) Hungary the well-known pre-election tunes are played again (by Sándor Richter) Latvia households push up domestic activity (by Sebastian Leitner) Lithuania aiming for euro adoption in 2015 (by Sebastian Leitner) Poland keeping afloat (by Leon Podkaminer) Romania growth driven only by exports (by Gábor Hunya) Slovakia export-led growth continues (by Doris Hanzl-Weiss) Slovenia recovery not in sight (by Hermine Vidovic) Statistical Annex Selected monthly data on the economic situation in Central, East and Southeast Europe |
| Keywords: | economic forecasts, GDP growth, inflation |
| Date: | 2013–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wii:mpaper:mr:2013-10&r=cis |