Politics for Profit: Business, Elections, and Policymaking in Russia

David Szakonyi, professor of political science, examines Putin-era Russia to illuminate the reasons why businesspeople enter the political sphere and the consequences of these actions for their firms and society at large.  Szakonyi provides evidence that businessperson candidacy is a response to both weak political parties and economic competition.  These candidates help their firms gain in profitability, at times to the detriment of human capital.