An audience of about 50 turned out on a mid-summer afternoon this week for a lunchtime book talk at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University in Arlington, Va., a number that surprised—delightfully so—organizer Louise Shelley.
In hindsight, there should have been no surprise: The topic of discussion was Russian corruption, an enduring subject that turns up in interest-generating headlines every day.
The speaker was Yulia Krylova, a recent Political Science PhD graduate from the Schar School and the author of a new book, “Corruption and the Russian Economy: How Administrative Corruption Undermines Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunities” (Routledge). Shelley, founder and director of the Schar School’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC), introduced Krylova, who spoke for 40 minutes, and then moderated a question-and-answer session with the audience members.
Krylova, who is a researcher at TraCCC, described how Russian government authorities and private businesses, particularly monopolistic conglomerates, stifle innovation and entrepreneurship by means of implementing impossible-to-meet regulations, disrupting attempts at organization, and persecuting independent businesses that run afoul of an unseen master plan for the country’s economy.
She also provided insight on how this policy of squashing entrepreneurship by corrupt means impacts the rest of the world, particularly the U.S.
For more information about TraCCC, Russian corruption, or events at the Schar School, contact Buzz McClain at bmcclai2@gmu.edu or TraCCC at TraCCC@gmu.edu.