This book investigates the extent to which local and national elites, rather than the central Kremlin leadership, have acted as the primary drivers of economic and political reform in post-Soviet Russia. Anton Steen, a scholar specializing in post-communist political systems, utilizes extensive empirical data and comparative analysis to examine the power dynamics between the presidency and regional power brokers. The work argues that the transformation of the Russian state is best understood through the strategic agency of these elite networks, which often operate independently of, or in direct opposition to, top-down reform initiatives.

Experts recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of post-Soviet power structures and elite theory. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous framework for understanding the complexities of Russian governance.