Introduction: political conflict and institutional change

Russia's contemporary political order is the product of a series of radical changes in the institutional framework of the Soviet and Russian state since the late 1980s. Considering the stakes involved, these changes have been surprisingly peaceful. Even the violent constitutional crises of 1991 and 1993 are modest in comparison with the terrible convulsions of 1917. Compared with Central Europe, however, Russia's postcommunist political evolution has been both turbulent and inconclusive. After events such as October 1993, when the army shelled the parliament building, and the war in Chechnia, few would claim that the advances which have been made in transforming Russia's political life in the direction of democracy are either decisive or irreversible. It may be the case that Russia will become a democracy only after it has passed through a period of authoritarianism, which would allow durable structures of social power to form and check the power of the state.

This chapter is addressed to the question of Russia's postcommunist political evolution. It attempts to determine whether Russia's constitutional framework is becoming consolidated, such that the main contending forces in Russian politics are generally observing the rules set by constitution and law, rather than seeking to subvert or ignore those rules. In order to answer this question, I will describe the political institutions established by the Yeltsin constitution of 1993 and discuss the steps that led to them.