The Resource Curse in a Post-Communist Regime

This text is based on a research project, the aim of which was to consider the progress made in Central Asia's and Kazakhstan's political and economic institutional development and to predict potential hurdles to future economic development in the region.

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As part of an attempt to resolve a larger puzzle - what makes economic reform in Russia difficult, this book examines how one of the major sectors of the economy, energy, has influenced economic growth and political development. It provides an in-depth analysis of the country's export of oil and gas, showing how the energy sector went through the topsy-turvy period of Gorbachev's economic reform and the initial stages of market transition under Yeltsin. In doing so, it highlights the importance of the major oil and gas companies for the functioning of Russian politics.