Social Inequality in the Mirror of Public Policy
Semenenko I.S.,
Dr. Sci. (Pol. Sci.), Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of Centre for Comparative Socioeconomic and Political Studies, Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences, isemenenko@mail.ru
elibrary_id: 251670 | ORCID: 0000-0003-2529-9283 |
DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2007.05.15
Semenenko I.S. Social Inequality in the Mirror of Public Policy . – Polis. Political Studies. 2007. No. 5. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2007.05.15
The work is a review of the book by a well-known British political scientist and historian Archie Brown «Seven Years That Changed the World» issued lately by the Oxford University Press and having for its subject analysis of the political history of the USSR of 1985 to 1991. According to Brown’s conception, the perestroika began as a reform, but shaped as systemic transformation, for it led to the change of all the key characteristics of the communist system. The main question the author of the book is concerned with is how did changes turn out possible in an extremely authoritarian system whose existence had lasted for about 70 years and which had more than once stood the trial of its durability? How did it happen that it proved at all possible to begin them - one would think, in defiance of «theory»? He sees the main reason that induced the beginning of the changes, in the «subjective factor», for in consolidated authoritarian systems, peaceful transformation can be started up only «from above». Therefore A.Brown’s attention is concentrated mainly on the activities of M.S.Gorbachev and other members of the top party leadership. At the same time he attaches great significance to the appearance in the power structures, as well as in expert institutions that assisted the party leadership, of people disposed in favour of changes.
See also:
Pantin I.K.,
Democratic Project in the Modern World. – Polis. Political Studies. 2002. No1
Kosorukov A.A.,
Globalization: the Trend and the Evolution. – Polis. Political Studies. 2009. No4
Smorgunov L.V.,
Political identity and the concept of the political. – Polis. Political Studies. 2012. No6
Kazantzev A.A.,
Schools and Sects in Political Thought of Modern Russia (Marginal Notes to The Thinking Russia Book of Collected Works). – Polis. Political Studies. 2006. No6
Petrovsky V.Ye.,
The rule of the «Open Window». On human rights in Russia and in today’s world. – Polis. Political Studies. 2010. No1