El. knyga: Why the Russian Constitution Matters: The Constitutional Dark Arts

[ William] Partlett provides a clear and accessible account of Russias recent constitutional history this is a book that even those who are uninterested in Russia should read, it speaks to a range of important topics in constitutional scholarship and, by virtue of its focus on Russia, does so in novel and valuable ways. -- Nicholas Barber, Professor of Constitutional Law and Theory at the University of Oxford, UK * Comparative Constitutional Studies * How does Vladimir Putin retain power? Through charisma, coercion, corruptionand a constitution! Will Partlett shows that the Russian constitution matters to sustaining the power centralized in Putins presidential office by adding legal authority to other power bases. Partlett offers us more than a detailed study of the constitutional centralization of power in Russias presidency. He takes on an important argument in political theory for centralized power as a vehicle for promoting the public good while preserving democratic rights, by overcoming the toned down versions of Hobbess war against all that are manifested in some pluralist political systems, immobilized by petty disagreements among power-seeking politicians. Partlett argues that, though the centralizers are sometimes correct in their diagnoses of their polities problems, their prescription runs high risks of degenerating into mere authoritarianism, risks manifested in Russias post-1989 experience from Boris Yeltsin though Putin. Partlett does an important service to the field of comparative constitutional law, and liberal political theorys by placing the case for centralized power back on the table even as he ends up severely criticizing it. * Mark Tushnet, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law Emeritus, Harvard Law School, USA * Partletts book is a masterpiece that will significantly shape understanding of Russian constitutional law and politics, the role of law in autocratisation and democratisation, and the nature of constitutions. It will have a far-reaching and lasting impact. It could not be more timely, given the growing effects of Russian authoritarianism and the rise and resilience of authoritarianism worldwide. The book is written in beautiful and accessible language, and I highly recommend it to you all. * Cora Chan, Professor at Hong Kong University Faculty of Law and Director of the Centre for Comparative and Public Law *