Book Talk. Weak Strongman: The Limits Of Power In Putin's Russia By Timothy Frye

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Please join The Harriman Institute for a discussion with Timothy Frye, author of "Weak Strongman: The Limits of Power in Putin's Russia" (Princeton University Press, April 6, 2021), in conversation with Alexander Cooley (director, Harriman Institute).

Media and public discussion tends to understand Russian politics as a direct reflection of Vladimir Putin's seeming omnipotence or Russia's unique history and culture. Yet Russia is remarkably similar to other autocracies—and recognizing this illuminates the inherent limits to Putin's power. "Weak Strongman" challenges the conventional wisdom about Putin's Russia, highlighting the difficult trade-offs that confront the Kremlin on issues ranging from election fraud and repression to propaganda and foreign policy. Frye brings a new understanding to a host of crucial questions: How popular is Putin? Is Russian propaganda effective? Why are relations with the West so fraught? Can Russian cyber warriors really swing foreign elections?

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