Presidential Decrees In Russia

The book examines the way Russian presidents Yeltsin, Medvedev, and Putin have used their constitutional decree powers since the end of the Soviet regime. The Russian constitution gives the Russian president extremely broad decree-making power, but its exercise is constrained by both formal and informal considerations. The book compares the Russian president's powers to those of other presidents, including the executive powers of the United States president and those of Latin American presidents. The book traces the historical development of decree power in Russia from the first constitution in 1905 through the Soviet period and up to the present day, showing strong continuities over time. It concludes that Russia's president operates in a strategic environment, where he must anticipate the way other actors, such as the bureaucracy and the parliament, will respond to his use of decree power.

Selections from volumes 1-2 of Dekrety sovetskoæi vlasti (romanized form.)

An examination of the effort to create a "law-based" state in the Gorbachev-era USSR, thus effecting a fundamental change in the relationship between the state and private groups and individuals. Social, historical, conceptual, and institutional aspects of legal development are discussed.

This collection of essays examines how Russia's distinctive traditions of law-and lawlessness-are shaping the current struggle for economic reform in the country.

This book offers a theory that predicts when executives should turn to decree and when legislatures should accept this method of policy-making.