Pros And Cons Of Putin

The number one rule of a dictator is arguably the following: Assure that you can never lose power. Vladmir Putin is by no means of low intelligence, he crafts his reign masterfully to ensure that he is always at the top of the Russian food chain, a key behavior shown by most dictators. Also, he is sure to retain the traditional way of maintaining the means necessary to ensure his reelection, such as sistema, and its powerful grip on the Russian people.

Sistema "can best be understood when the pressure of it is gone"(pg 6). Fazil Iskander was only able to speak of its abilities after the Soviet Era censorship was lifted but the pervasive situation seen throughout Russia did not end there. Putin was a renowned member of the Komitet gosudarstyennoy

By utilizing these connections and their proximity to the Russian citizens, Putin ensures that those who are not already convinced to reelect him to change their minds. The use of favors and information was seen in the movie Leviathan when the lawyer tried to force the hand of the local mayor. Unfortunately, in an undemocratic society violent measures can be taken to intimidate others into falling back in their place. "The lack of clear boundaries between public and private allows networks to serve both domains," or in other words, allows the officials to scratch backs and have their scratched. The lawyer was able to find information to use as blackmail, but the mayor was able to use his connections to get rid of the lawyer. With a few favors or a few overlooked crimes, Putin's popularity and prospects of winning a second term could be exponentially increased (pg 55). The same campaign related ratings could rise through appealing policy and fair voting, but with fairness comes freedom. Here, Putin encounters the Dictator's Dilemma: If the public is too afraid to vote honestly, how can he know if he'll win in a fair

Abuse of public office is often linked to these exchanges and "the negative qualities of human nature: dishonesty, shamelessness and greed"(pg 64). Where there are incentives for misbehaving, there are individuals who will misbehave and there are individuals who will encourage this behavior for their own good. To quote the book "this dual nature of motivations underlying corrupt behavior, the actual squeeze between loyalty to the law and loyalty to a personal network reflects the ambiguity of social networks" solidifies the speculation of many that the Russian sistema is built upon exchanges between the citizens and their leaders (pg