The legitimacy of private property in Russia: An unresolved issue

Social Sciences. 2016. Vol. 47. No. 3. P. 3–29.

Grigoryev L. M., Kurdin A.

The institution of private property has existed in Russia for almost 25 years. However, the legitimacy of private property rights established in this period, as well as the legitimacy of the institution itself, remains questionable. Despite the change of generations and the improvement of living standards, many opinion polls show that the majority of Russians still have a negative view not only of the privatization of the 1990s and its results, but also of private property as such. Optimistic forecasts on the adaptation of people to new realities have not come true. The authors analyze the reasons for and consequences of the illegitimacy of private property rights today and compare different ways of legitimizing these rights. They conclude that there is no sense in discretionary state intervention in this protracted process, and that the focus should be on the reduction of inequality and the enforcement of formal institutions without exception or privilege. © 2017 East View Information Services. All rights reserved.

Keywords: частная собственность, легитимность, legitimacy, защита прав собственности, private property, protection of property rights