The state and Agrarian reform in post-communist Russia

The purpose of this article is to survey the evolution in the role of the state in Russian agriculture. Six specific policy realms are examined in order to measure the role of the state. The analysis begins with an overview of how the state intervened in agriculture during the Soviet period. In the post-Soviet period, the role of the state has changed and is divided into two periods. The first period is one of‘state withdrawal,’ based upon laissez faire, neoliberalist conceptions of the state that spanned 1992–98. The second period, termed‘bringing the state back in,’ is characterized by continuity with the period of state withdrawal in some policy realms, while in other policy arenas the role of the state has become markedly more interventionist. This second period spans from late 1998 to the present. The socio-economic effects of increased intervention are examined. Finally, the article assesses the prospects for‘keeping the state back in’ going forward.