The Russian Mob Essay -- Essays Papers

The Russian Mob: Organized Crime in a Fledgling Democracy Since the late 1980’s the Russian people have experienced one of the most drastic transitions seen in the world to date, a transition from an attempt at communism to a workable capitalist system. As one would expect, this transition has not been painless and has been the impetus of many distressing problems for the Russian people. One such problem is organized crime. This paper will explore how organized crime during Soviet rule and the Russian Federation has created obstacles in this transition to a functioning market economy. It will illustrate how organized crime has done this by analyzing its transition from the USSR to the Russian Federation, the reasons behind its existence today, and how its operation impairs Russia’s attempts at a market economy. It will also provide some possible solutions for the crises organized crime has created, which currently plague the Russian people. Organized crime has worked its way through openings provided by the transition ec onomy to become a setback to the Russian society and economy. Its existence disables successful economic reform by influencing important issues such as competition, entrepreneurship, capital flight, the shadow economy, and violence. Basis in Soviet Union In order to understand organized crime in Russia today and its affect on the Russian economy, one must examine its roots in the Soviet Union. Although many acknowledge the existence of crime syndicates in the USSR, few are aware of their extent during the 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s. As early as the 1970’s, the Russian mafia had advanced to the status of primary protectors and beneficiaries in the robust Soviet shadow economy (Anderson, 1995, 341... ...8. Shelley, Louise I. â€Å"Post-Soviet Organized Crime: A New Form of Authoritarianism.† Russian Organized Crime: The New Threat?. Ed. Phil Williams. London: Frank Class, 1997. 123-138. Shelley, Louise I. â€Å"The Challenge of Crime and Corruption.† Russia’s Policy Challenges. Ed. Stephen Wegren. New York: M. E. Sharpe, 2003. 103-122. Sterling, Claire. Thieves World: The Threat of the New Global Network of Organized Crime. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Volkov, Vadim. Violent Entrepreneurs. New York: Cornell University Press, 2002. Webster, William H., ed. Russian Organized Crime and Corruption: Putin’s Challenge. Washington: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2000. Williams, Phil. â€Å"How Serious a Threat is Russian Organized Crime?.† Introduction. Russian Organized Crime: The New Threat?. Ed. Phil Williams. London: Frank Class, 1997. 1-28. The Russian Mob Essay -- Essays Papers The Russian Mob: Organized Crime in a Fledgling Democracy Since the late 1980’s the Russian people have experienced one of the most drastic transitions seen in the world to date, a transition from an attempt at communism to a workable capitalist system. As one would expect, this transition has not been painless and has been the impetus of many distressing problems for the Russian people. One such problem is organized crime. This paper will explore how organized crime during Soviet rule and the Russian Federation has created obstacles in this transition to a functioning market economy. It will illustrate how organized crime has done this by analyzing its transition from the USSR to the Russian Federation, the reasons behind its existence today, and how its operation impairs Russia’s attempts at a market economy. It will also provide some possible solutions for the crises organized crime has created, which currently plague the Russian people. Organized crime has worked its way through openings provided by the transition ec onomy to become a setback to the Russian society and economy. Its existence disables successful economic reform by influencing important issues such as competition, entrepreneurship, capital flight, the shadow economy, and violence. Basis in Soviet Union In order to understand organized crime in Russia today and its affect on the Russian economy, one must examine its roots in the Soviet Union. Although many acknowledge the existence of crime syndicates in the USSR, few are aware of their extent during the 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s. As early as the 1970’s, the Russian mafia had advanced to the status of primary protectors and beneficiaries in the robust Soviet shadow economy (Anderson, 1995, 341... ...8. Shelley, Louise I. â€Å"Post-Soviet Organized Crime: A New Form of Authoritarianism.† Russian Organized Crime: The New Threat?. Ed. Phil Williams. London: Frank Class, 1997. 123-138. Shelley, Louise I. â€Å"The Challenge of Crime and Corruption.† Russia’s Policy Challenges. Ed. Stephen Wegren. New York: M. E. Sharpe, 2003. 103-122. Sterling, Claire. Thieves World: The Threat of the New Global Network of Organized Crime. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Volkov, Vadim. Violent Entrepreneurs. New York: Cornell University Press, 2002. Webster, William H., ed. Russian Organized Crime and Corruption: Putin’s Challenge. Washington: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2000. Williams, Phil. â€Å"How Serious a Threat is Russian Organized Crime?.† Introduction. Russian Organized Crime: The New Threat?. Ed. Phil Williams. London: Frank Class, 1997. 1-28.