Protest and the Politics of Blame: The Russian Response to Unpaid Wages

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments Four institutions were indispensable in bringing this book to fruition. First, I thank the Of‹ce of Research at the U.S. State Department (formerly the U.S. Information Agency). I collected the data during my time as a social science research analyst with the of‹ce, and I bene‹ted tremendously from the supportive and energetic leadership of Steven Grant, Ann Pincus, and Stephen Shaffer. I also bene‹ted from the collegiality and helpful input of the other analysts, notably Richard Dobson, David Nolle, and Anatole Shub. I drafted the manuscript during my year as a postdoctoral fellow at the Davis Center for Russian Studies at Harvard University. I thank Timothy Colton and all the af‹liates of the center for affording me an intellectually vibrant and ›exible environment. I made major revisions to the manuscript during my year as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Thanks especially to Ed Greenberg and John O’Loughlin for a very rewarding year as well as to the political science department for its hospitality and inclusiveness. I completed the book as I began my assistant professorship in the political science department at Rice University. Not only has Rice provided a welcoming and comfortable environment, but the department contributed to the book’s development by generously assisting in the organization of a small conference to discuss the ‹nal draft. In particular, I thank John Ambler, Kevin Arceneaux, David Brown, Lisa Klein, Cliff Morgan, Bob Stein, Randy Stevenson, and Rick Wilson as well as Ann Mikus and Carolyn Zerda for their administrative support. Cliff, Randy, and Rick deserve special mention for doing double and triple tours of duty. I am fortunate to have such thoughtful and helpful colleagues. Several other individuals read chapters and full drafts of the manuscript . Their input was invaluable. Tami Buhr, Linda Cook, and Brian Silver provided a regular stream of useful advice throughout the book’s evolution . Mike McFaul gave the manuscript an especially careful reading and offered much constructive criticism that shaped my approach to the ‹nal draft. Donna Bahry and Guy Whitten graciously came to Rice to participate in the conference and offered thoughtful comments, as did Phil Roeder and Mark Lichbach from afar. Mark Beissinger, Tim Colton, Michael Hiscox, Gary King, Jeff Kopstein, John O’Loughlin, Sam Popkin , Peter Rutland, Jodi Simons, Sid Tarrow, and Jonathon Weiler gave helpful feedback at various stages, and Vanessa Baird and Jeff Hayes provided ever-cheerful and helpful technical advice. I thank them all. Several individuals contributed to my knowledge of both protest and labor conditions in Russia. Fred Weir, Serge Schmemann, and other journalists who prefer to remain anonymous were kind enough to offer me their perspectives on media coverage of protest in Russia. I also bene‹ted from the tremendous efforts of David Johnson, the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and the staff of the Jamestown Foundation Monitor , who provide a steady ›ow of information from the widest variety of sources on contemporary Russia. My apologies go to the subjects of this book, Russians who have suffered from unpaid wages and other economic hardships. The question driving the book is why most Russians have not protested over their hardships . The more burning question from a humanitarian perspective is how to eliminate their hardships so no cause for protest exists. How can Russians ensure that they will receive regular full salaries for their labor, and how can they ensure that economic reforms will not leave them destitute? Most unpaid Russians would probably prefer guidance to observation, and I am sorry that such guidance is outside the scope of this study and beyond my capacity. I also apologize for the somewhat gloom-and-doom tone of the book. I recognize that a more optimistic introduction and a more optimistic conclusion would please both the Russians involved and U.S. and other audiences . Although I believe the tone accurately characterizes the state of affairs in Russia, I will be happy if proven wrong. This book was written during training for the 1999 Chicago Marathon and was revised and ‹nished during training for a variety of other running and cycling events. In Boston, Boulder, and Houston, I found great company in my many running and cycling partners, and I thank them for the fun distraction. In particular, I thank the energetic members of the nowdefunct Boston Running Club, the coaching staff of TRACS, Community Running, the collegiate national champion Triathlon...