Gulnaz Sharafutdinova

Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, an assistant professor at Miami University (Ohio), studies issues related to the rule of law and elite accountability in the democratization of post-communist countries. HerKellogg project, “The Dynamics of the Post-Communist Transformation: Varieties of Authoritarian Regimes and Paradoxes of Crony Capitalism in Russia’s Regions,” grows out of her PhD dissertation, which she plans to develop into a book and a series of articles while she is in residence.

Sharafutdinova is particularly interested in the interaction between formal institutions and the informal economic-political elite networks which characterize crony capitalism. Looking at the impact of political contestation on elections and governmental performance, her findings run contrary to usual expectations about the democratization process. She finds that uninhibited political competitiveness can work against public acceptance of elections, which come to be seen as power struggles among the elite, and that in terms of governmental performance, authoritarian monocentric regimes may fare better than contested regimes, at least in the short run. Focusing on Russia’s regions, her work combines statistical analysis and a case study of the Republic of Tatarstan. At Kellogg, she plans to further develop the comparative elements of her argument, which may be useful in the study of other post-communist nations.

After receiving her MA in International Affairs from the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, Sharafutdinova returned to her native Tatarstan for a year. From 1997–98 she was senior officer of the Department on Asia and Africa in the -Foreign Affairs Office of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan. She holds a PhD in political science from George Washington -University.