Autocracy and Health Governance in Russia

The book investigates how and why authoritarian (personalistic) regimes fail to provide fundamental goods and services, providing an analytical framework of bad governance rooted in the rational institutionalist tradition and connected to competence-control theory. It also gives a general readership interested in how Russia works a sense of the key political players mindset and the regime-induced constraints under which elites operate.

Format: Hardback
Length: 261 pages
Publication date: 16 July 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

The book is a groundbreaking exploration into the shortcomings of authoritarian (personalistic) regimes in providing essential goods and services. For two decades, Russian authorities have invested substantial resources and effort in improving health administration, yet most success stories fall short of genuine accomplishments. This failure is intentional, as personalistic regimes prioritize personalized exchanges and bargains over impersonal rules and permanent organizations. Consequently, all actors, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, and patients, prioritize their self-interest over the needs of patients. This predicament is particularly concerning as authoritarian leaders often promote social betterment as their primary objective, and many Russians accept these claims without question. However, these leaders inadvertently incentivize their agents to imitate progress and tolerate substandard performance, undermining the pursuit of genuine improvement.

The benefits of this comprehensive investigation are manifold. Firstly, the book offers an analytical framework rooted in the rational institutionalist tradition and connected to competence-control theory. This framework provides a valuable lens for understanding the underlying mechanisms of bad governance and sheds light on the factors that contribute to its persistence. Secondly, the book offers a broader readership interested in understanding how Russia operates a deeper insight into the mindset of key political players and the constraints imposed by the regime on elites. By examining health governance exclusively, the book's analytical framework possesses the potential to be applied to other issue areas, offering explanations for Russia's evolution into an ineffective, coercive, and predatory state under Putin's leadership.

In conclusion, the book is a crucial contribution to the study of authoritarianism and governance. By examining the failures of personalistic regimes in providing essential goods and services, it sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of bad governance and offers valuable insights into the mindset of political actors and the constraints imposed by regimes. Its analytical framework is portable to other issue areas, making it a valuable resource for understanding Russia's complex political landscape and its challenges.

Weight: 483g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031057885
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022