‘No Time for Quality’: Mechanisms of Local Governance in Russia

Europe-Asia Studies. 2021. Vol. 73. No. 6. P. 1060–1079.

Gilev A., Dimke D.

How does centralisation affect public goods provision in Russian municipalities? Drawing on the evidence

from 68 interviews with municipal elites in four Russian regions, we demonstrate that, first, centralisation

through excessive regulation encourages the provision of a higher quantity of public goods but does not

encourage their quality. Short time horizons and haste lower the quality of goods even further. Moreover,

centralisation favours municipalities with higher state capacity. Finally, risk-averse behaviour by officials

leads to a lower quality of public goods.

Keywords: Russian politics, local politics, centralization, public goods, Governance