Russia, crime and corruption: Arresting the democratization process

The problem investigated in this thesis is the impact that crime and corruption have on democratic consolidation. Crime and corruption influence the process by negatively affecting the political, economic and civil society, the rule of law and state bureaucracy. These arenas make up the foundations of a consolidated democracy. If we understand how and to what degree crime and corruption effects democratic consolidation then we may be able to lessen its impact. This thesis uses the case study method and statistics to measure the effect of crime and corruption on the consolidation of democracy. The period of the thesis---1989 to 1999---spans from the Gorbachev era in Soviet times to Russia under Yeltsin. From the evidence presented it is found that in Russia crime and corruption have severely affected the arenas that are the foundation of a consolidated democracy.