Practically all-important figures during the Soviet Union era played a significant role in stabilizing organized crime by turning a blind eye, or committing crimes themselves. The Kremlin was not the only part of the Soviet Union that was corrupted by the mafia. The Communist party had control over the police and judiciary systems. Therefore, the mafia was able to utilize the police and judiciary for informal protections. The protection provided by the government is another enabling factor of organized crime. “With the Communist party also in control of the police and the judiciary, those who played by the informal rules could be assured of protection, and those who violated the norms could be openly punished by selective enforcement of law.”
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“Such bureaucratic corruption and favor trading meant that there was no standing rule of law to live by under the Soviet state. The result was that the Soviet Union did not establish the rule of law, but the arbitrary rule of bureaucrats.” (CATO). The lack of commonality in Russian law between government agencies promoted corruption within the government.
The consequences of the Soviet Union not being able to establish a stable rule of law is experienced still within the Russian Federation today. The problem is the lack of trust between the citizens and their government. Therefore, much of citizen safety and welfare has been achieved through self-help. Citizens tend to change their private behavior such as installing reinforced doors in their apartments, and avoiding late night walks alone.
While businesses on the other hand take more extreme measures, and acquire personal secret services. “Faced with rampant crime, many Russian businesses are taking matters into their own hands and hiring private security agents and bodyguards.” (CATO). No level of the Russian government today is immune from organized crime. For example, Gregori Miroshnik was a well-known established criminal who had previously been imprisoned four times; but he eventually went on to become the economic advisor to the vice president in 1991 according to Lukas and Dempsey of the CATO Institute. The Russian mafia utilizes bureaucrats …show more content…
Gorbachev was attempting to create an economy that could compete with capitalist countries such as the United States, Japan, and Germany. Perestroika decentralized economic controls, and encouraged self-financing for businesses. Bureaucracy inhibited Gorbachev’s perestroika reform because some feared losing control and privileges. Perestroika reform goals were also meant to reduce the Communist’s leadership involvement in the country’s governance, which in turn could help reduce corruption from within the Kremlin. “Gorbachev also proposed reducing the direct involvement of the Communist Party leadership in the country’s governance and increasing the local governments’ authority.” (Britannica.com). In 1988 the Soviet Congress of People’s Deputies was created as a new Soviet parliament, and each soviet republic had similar parliaments. Elections for filling parliament were important during this time because for the first time in history Russian citizens were given candidate choices, and some candidates were not affiliated with the Communist
“Such bureaucratic corruption and favor trading meant that there was no standing rule of law to live by under the Soviet state. The result was that the Soviet Union did not establish the rule of law, but the arbitrary rule of bureaucrats.” (CATO). The lack of commonality in Russian law between government agencies promoted corruption within the government.
The consequences of the Soviet Union not being able to establish a stable rule of law is experienced still within the Russian Federation today. The problem is the lack of trust between the citizens and their government. Therefore, much of citizen safety and welfare has been achieved through self-help. Citizens tend to change their private behavior such as installing reinforced doors in their apartments, and avoiding late night walks alone.
While businesses on the other hand take more extreme measures, and acquire personal secret services. “Faced with rampant crime, many Russian businesses are taking matters into their own hands and hiring private security agents and bodyguards.” (CATO). No level of the Russian government today is immune from organized crime. For example, Gregori Miroshnik was a well-known established criminal who had previously been imprisoned four times; but he eventually went on to become the economic advisor to the vice president in 1991 according to Lukas and Dempsey of the CATO Institute. The Russian mafia utilizes bureaucrats …show more content…
Gorbachev was attempting to create an economy that could compete with capitalist countries such as the United States, Japan, and Germany. Perestroika decentralized economic controls, and encouraged self-financing for businesses. Bureaucracy inhibited Gorbachev’s perestroika reform because some feared losing control and privileges. Perestroika reform goals were also meant to reduce the Communist’s leadership involvement in the country’s governance, which in turn could help reduce corruption from within the Kremlin. “Gorbachev also proposed reducing the direct involvement of the Communist Party leadership in the country’s governance and increasing the local governments’ authority.” (Britannica.com). In 1988 the Soviet Congress of People’s Deputies was created as a new Soviet parliament, and each soviet republic had similar parliaments. Elections for filling parliament were important during this time because for the first time in history Russian citizens were given candidate choices, and some candidates were not affiliated with the Communist