Open research questions in Russia and Soviet political economy
119 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 733 Russia and Soviet political economy papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The paper identifies a gap in understanding the role of residual orality in contemporary Russia. The study aims to fill this gap by examining the connection between residual orality and war propaganda.
The paper notes that the Soviet claim of 30 billion rubles in economic aid remains an enigma. The study suggests that the Soviet apologists could not have included military aid in their claims.
Further analysis of Soviet economic aid claims. Comparison of Soviet aid to other countries' aid. Examination of the impact of Soviet aid on the Soviet economy.
The difficulty in gauging the relationship between arms transfers and influence. The lack of effective control over the global arms trade. The emergence of new suppliers in the arms trade.
There has been no systematic attempt to investigate the degree of Soviet market power and Soviet pricing behavior on Western markets. The existence of a state monopoly of foreign trade is thought to enable the USSR to earn monopoly profits in East-West trade, but its impact on market power is unclear.
The diversity of approaches in Soviet management theory can lead to disagreements among specialists. The lack of a unified approach to management theory can hinder the development of a socialist theory of management.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the complexity of administrative constraints on optimal economic performance. The gap is due to the lack of a unified approach to management theory in the USSR.
The paper identifies a gap in the discussion of the Soviet financial crisis - The paper suggests that monetarist economic theorists would find comfort in their camp
Future research could explore the labor movement in other cities in Russia, - Future research could also examine the relationship between the trade unions and other political parties
Trade Unions, Parties, and the State in Tsarist Russia: A Study of Labor Politics in St. Petersburg and Moscow · 1980 · DOIThe paper identifies a gap in understanding the labor movement in Russia, - The paper seeks to fill this gap by analyzing the relationship between the trade unions and the Social Democratic party
Trade Unions, Parties, and the State in Tsarist Russia: A Study of Labor Politics in St. Petersburg and Moscow · 1980 · DOIThe Soviet economic effort in World War II has not received much study in the West due to the paucity of economic data. Texts on the economy of the USSR characteristically neglect the period altogether, with no more than a paragraph or two for the transition from the late 1930s to the early 1950s.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the economic crisis in the USSR. The crisis is not well understood, and its causes and effects need to be analyzed.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of Varga's theory and its relationship to other Marxist thinkers. It highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the theory of state monopoly capitalism.
The administration of the price system has been largely neglected in Western literature. There is a lack of understanding of the practical aspects of price formation.
Further study of the factors contributing to the Soviet economic slowdown, - Examination of the potential for increased trade and import of advanced Western technology to speed the growth of productivity
The lack of published information on the Soviet Union's gold production and sales. The uncertainty surrounding the Soviet Union's gold reserves and their potential impact on the world gold market.
The challenge of controlling markets in a planned socialist system. The challenge of understanding the reasons for the formation of different markets. The challenge of predicting the future of these markets.
Further research could explore the development of markets in the USSR over time. Further research could analyze the impact of government control on the expansion and elimination of markets.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the Soviet interpretation of Lenin's theory of imperialism. It highlights the need to examine the development of the Soviet view of imperialism.
The price system for means of production will have to undergo further changes during 1976-80, - The main alterations required are that the price system must be brought up to date.
The problem of prices of subcontracted products in centrally planned economies is a complex one, - The main problem is how to relate price to actual cost level.
The USSR's inability to provide goods of the right specification and quality to meet the requirements of Western markets. The lack of a global perspective in the totality of demands and sectoral aims put forth in a political programme with a working class and popular character.
Further study of the economic and social impacts of alcohol consumption in the USSR. Analysis of the effectiveness of the Soviet government's anti-alcohol campaign. Investigation of the factors contributing to the high per capita consumption of alcohol in the USSR.
The lack of accurate and reliable data on production, sales, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the USSR. The complexity and difficulty of assessing the economic and social impacts of alcohol consumption. The need for a comprehensive understanding of the order of magnitude of different aspects of the production and consumption of alcohol in the USSR.
The economic problems faced by the Baltic States after gaining independence. The impact of British commercial policy on the region's economic recovery.
A great opportunity lost? Aspects of British commercial policy toward the Baltic States, 1920–1924 · 1974 · DOI
Most-cited papers in Russia and Soviet political economy
- Prediction in Macrosociology: The Case of the Soviet Collapse · American Journal of Sociology · 1995 · 70 citations
- Critical geoeconomics: A genealogy of writing politics, economy and space · Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers · 2023 · 43 citations
- The American Connection: Ideology and the Transfer of American Technology to the Soviet Union, 1917–1941 · Comparative Studies in Society and History · 1981 · 27 citations
- Socioeconomic impacts of Russian invasion of Ukraine: A multiregional assessment for Europe · Journal of Regional Science · 2023 · 21 citations
- Russian disinformation finds fertile ground in the West · Nature Human Behaviour · 2022 · 21 citations
- For critical geoeconomics · Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers · 2023 · 12 citations
- The shock of war: do trade relations impact the reaction of stock markets to the Russian invasion of Ukraine? · Ekonomista · 2023 · 11 citations
- “The whole world is becoming more like Russia.” A conversation on deglobalization in the wake of the war in Ukraine · Berliner Journal für Soziologie · 2022 · 10 citations
- THE IMPACT OF THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN CONFLICT ON ARMENIA'S FOREIGN TRADE: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS · Journal of Liberty and International Affairs Institute for Research and European Studies - Bitola · 2023 · 9 citations
- Soviet Entrepreneurs in the Late Socialist Shadow Economy: The Case of the Kyrgyz Affair · Slavic Review · 2020 · 8 citations
Most recent work
- Foreign agents law in Georgia: policy transfer from Russia or the West? · Central Asian Survey · 2026
- Labor Market Supply and Geopolitical Shock: Does Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Disrupt Inflows of Migrant Workers Into Visegrad Four Countries? · Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies · 2026
- Fluctuating passenger railway offers between Poland and Ukraine (1991-2025) against the background of rebordering and debordering processes · Geographia Polonica · 2026
- The Problem of the Varna–Ruse Railway Sale (1878–1888): Economic, Political, and Diplomatic Dimensions · Bulgarian Historical Review · 2026
- Institutional drift in post-soviet political economy: the case of Georgia · East European Politics · 2026
- Russia’s “Soft Power” in Georgia’s Political-Economic Sphere: Historical Dynamics and Contemporary Realities · Theory, Methodology, Practice · 2026
- Fuel and Power: Energy, Trade, and Russian Foreign Relations from Lenin to Putin , by Jeronim Perović · The English Historical Review · 2026
- Accounting for a Soviet republic: Lithuanian GDP time-series, 1940–1995 · Cliometrica · 2026
- Putinism and Markets: How (and Why) Do They Fit Together? · The Russian Review · 2025
- Power and positionality: researching state crime and reputation laundering in Uzbekistan · Central Asian Survey · 2025
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