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Politics and banking in Russia: the rise of Putin

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  • Koen Schoors
  • Laurent Weill

Abstract

We investigate whether lending by the dominant Russian state bank, Sberbank, contributed to Vladimir Putin’s ascent to power during the presidential elections of March2000. Our hypothesis is that Sberbank corporate loans were used as incentives for managers at private firms to mobilize employees to vote for Putin. In line with our proposed voter mobilization mechanism, we find that the growth of regional corporate Sberbank loans in the months before the presidential election is related to the regional increase in votes for Putin and to the regional increase in voter turnout between the Duma election of December1999 and the presidential election of March2000. The effect is pronounced in regions where the governor is affiliated with the regime and in regions with extensive private employment, and less apparent in regions bequeathed with single-company towns, where voter intimidation suffices to get the required result. The results are highly robust.

Suggested Citation

  • Koen Schoors & Laurent Weill, 2020. "Politics and banking in Russia: the rise of Putin," Post-Soviet Affairs, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(5-6), pages 451-474, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:rpsaxx:v:36:y:2020:i:5-6:p:451-474
    DOI: 10.1080/1060586X.2020.1785245
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    1. Ruben Enikolopov & Maria Petrova & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, 2011. "Media and Political Persuasion: Evidence from Russia," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(7), pages 3253-3285, December.
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    11. Frye, Timothy & Reuter, Ora John & Szakonyi, David, 2019. "Hitting Them With Carrots: Voter Intimidation and Vote Buying in Russia," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(3), pages 857-881, July.
    12. Alexei Karas & Koen Schoors & Laurent Weill, 2010. "Are private banks more efficient than public banks?," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 18(1), pages 209-244, January.
    13. Pyle, William & Schoors, Koen & Semenova, Maria & Yudaeva, Ksenya, 2013. "Bank Depositor behavior in Russia in the Aftermath of Financial Crisis," MPRA Paper 68932, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Michael Rochlitz, 2016. "Political Loyalty Vs Economic Performance: Evidence from Machine Politics in Russia’S Regions," HSE Working papers WP BRP 34/PS/2016, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    15. Daniel Carvalho, 2014. "The Real Effects of Government-Owned Banks: Evidence from an Emerging Market," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(2), pages 577-609, April.
    16. Florian Englmaier & Till Stowasser, 2017. "Electoral Cycles in Savings Bank Lending," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 296-354.
    17. William Tompson, 2004. "What kind of 'financial safety net' for Russia? Russian Banking reform in comparative context," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 115-135.
    18. Berkowitz, Daniel & Hoekstra, Mark & Schoors, Koen, 2014. "Bank privatization, finance, and growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 93-106.
    19. Shurchkov, Olga, 2012. "New elites and their influence on entrepreneurial activity in Russia," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 240-255.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Zuzana Fungáčová & Alexei Karas & Laura Solanko & Laurent Weill, 2023. "The politics of bank failures in Russia," Post-Soviet Affairs, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(6), pages 440-461, November.
    2. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Schoors, Koen & Solanko, Laura & Weill, Laurent, 2023. "Staying on top: Political cycles in private bank lending," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 899-917.
    3. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Karas, Alexei & Solanko, Laura & Weill, Laurent, 2022. "The politics of bank failures in Russia," BOFIT Discussion Papers 7/2022, Bank of Finland, Institute for Economies in Transition.
    4. Saibal Ghosh, 2023. "Political connections and bank behaviour," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 52(1), February.
    5. Koetter, Michael & Popov, Alexander, 2018. "Politics, banks, and sub-sovereign debt: unholy trinity or divine coincidence?," Working Paper Series 2146, European Central Bank.
    6. Osei-Tutu, Francis & Weill, Laurent, 2023. "Democracy favors access to credit of firms," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    7. repec:zbw:bofitp:2020_008 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Schoors, Koen & Solanko, Laura & Weill, Laurent, 2020. "Political cycles and bank lending in Russia," BOFIT Discussion Papers 8/2020, Bank of Finland, Institute for Economies in Transition.
    9. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Kerola, Eeva & Weill, Laurent, 2024. "European banks are not immune to national elections," BOFIT Discussion Papers 4/2024, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    10. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Schoors, Koen & Solanko, Laura & Weill, Laurent, 2020. "Political cycles and bank lending in Russia," BOFIT Discussion Papers 8/2020, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    11. repec:zbw:bofitp:2022_007 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • P34 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Finance

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