%0 Book %A Shevtsova, Lilian %I National Bureau of Asian Research %D 2003 %C Seattle U.S.A %T The Political dimension of economic reform under Vladimir Putin: Obstacles, pitfalls, and opportunities %U http://www.nbr.org/publications/analysis/vol %X This report attempts to examine the current political realities in Russia and the role that Putin's leadership plays in economic liberalization to determine the overall balance of power in Russia today and the prospects for undertaking a new stage of economic reform. Whose interests would these reforms serve and what are the main obstacles that stand in their way? Is public opinion willing to support reform and what must Russian authorities do to ensure the success of economic liberalization? What can the West do to help?. In this article, the author pays special attention to the obstacles that complicate the movement of Russia toward building an effective market. For the time being, President Putin has the ability to neutralize some of these obstacles by using his base of support in society. As the next round of elections approaches, promoting reform in the economy will become mmore complicated. It may be that Putin will put off any new stage of economic liberalization until his second term in office. In any case the prospects of success for Russian reform depend on the ability of the authorities and society to overcome the main obstacle on the road to a civilized market economy-autocracy-and begin the transition to institutionalized politics on the basis of the rule of law, rather than shady deals.