Big Business and the State in Russia

• Published in: Europe-Asia studies Vol. 57; no. 5; pp. 657 - 680
• Main Authors: Hanson, Philip, Teague, Elizabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Ltd 01-07-2005
• Subjects: Big business; Business corruption; Business government relations; Business Society Relationship; Business structures; Comparative analysis; Corporate governance; Correlation analysis; Corruption; Countries; Economic Development; Economic growth; Economics; Entrepreneurs; Executives; Governance; Government corruption; Government Regulation; Government-business relations; Italy; Japan; Large enterprises; Party systems; Political corruption; Political economy; Political power; Privatization; Public Sector Private Sector Relations; Russia; Russian Federation; Studies; Russia
• ISSN: 0966-8136; 1465-3427
• DOI: 10.1080/09668130500126361

Relations between the state and business is post-Soviet Russia are not well understood. In its assessment of governance data the World Bank finds a comparatively high degree (in international comparative terms) of state capture by Russian big business. Leading Russian businessmen, however, frequently maintain that they are and have been dependent on the state for the development of their businesses. Certainly the state capture account has not coped too well with recent events. This article seeks to shed light on the nature of the relationship between big business and the state in contemporary Russia in two ways. First, it examines the fortunes over its short existence, of the Russian employers' association, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. In the second part of the article, it examines business-state relations in Russia in international, comparative perspective.