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Authors
Abstract(s)
Russia is back, and it is bringing its personalized authoritarianism to center stage. In a short period of time, Russia has rebuilt and rebranded itself for the world. This has heavily benefitted the regime's political and economic interests in the long term, even while dealing with sanctions that have negatively affected its economic interests. Putin's political regime is ready to show the world that it is challenging, and possibly even replacing, liberal democracy.
This thesis looks at the regime from two separate, but equally important, perspectives. The first angle that this thesis looks at is the form of the Russian political regime. This thesis calls the regime's governing form Putinism. Provided in chapter one will be the political ideology of the regime, where it comes from, and how to implement this personalized form of authoritarianism into real world governance.
Chapter two focuses on a specific element, or as I call it here, the tool Putin uses for regime stability. This tool is an expansive propaganda machine that is intended to influence people's thoughts and perceptions on Putin's regime. This section establishes the psychological manipulation strategies the regime uses, and then both the covert and overt ways in which Putin uses them to manipulate society into a constituency of passive onlookers.
This thesis presents the new Russian challenge to liberal democracy. But I do not propose in my thesis question if there is a new challenger. We already know there is. The question of this thesis goes further: Will Putinism replace liberal democracy as the preferred regime form for states who question liberal democracy's staying power? Politicians and policymakers must take Russia's rise seriously. This thesis will show readers why it's imperative for anyone living in a liberal democracy, why Russia's rise is dangerous.