The project description

This project aimed at analyzing several key aspects of middle class development in the Russian regions (subjects of Federation – oblasts, krays, autonomous republics), namely:

-    Federal and regional government programs to stimulate the growth of the middle class (content, tools of implementation, effectiveness);

-    Behavioral strategies and economic behavior (consumption patterns, propensity to save, investment) of different sections of Russian middle class;

-    Middle class value orientation and political preferences (including preferences for democracy).

The operating schedule

We envision carrying the project out over a two-year period, from fall 2009 through summer 2011.

1. During the 2009-2010 academic year, the HSE Research Lab assembles a dataset from Rosstat, the Levada Center, and the Independent Institute for Social Policy. We will also prepare the regional field work. Summer 2010 is devoted to the field work by the HSE staff and students.
2. The 2010-2011 academic year will be used to analyze the data, prepare conference papers, and discuss findings with scholars in the US and Russia.
3. The preliminary findings were presented at the AAASS meeting in Los Angeles in November 2010.
4. Summer 2011 will be used to write up and submit our planned journal articles.

The results of the project

• A comprehensive reference guide to empirical studies related to the subject for scholars inside and outside Russia.
• Series of scholarly articles for Western and Russian publications
• Collective monography on the middle class in Russia as a policy objective, including detailed investigation of the government policies and middle class behavioral strategies

The participants

1. Thomas F. Remington, Goodrich C. White Professor of Political Science
2. Mark U. Urnov, Academic supervisor of Political Science Faculty
3. Irina V. Soboleva, Scientific associate of the Laboratory for Political Research
4. Anton S. Sobolev, Scientific associate of the Laboratory for Political Research

Papers

Soboleva, Irina V., Sobolev, Anton S. and Urnov, Mark Y., The Middle Class in Four Russian Regions: Government Policies and Behavioral Strategies (December, 07 2010). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1721789