The effectiveness of property rights - and the rule of law more broadly - is often depicted as depending primarily on rulers' 'supply' of legal institutions. Yet the crucial importance of private sector 'demand' for law is frequently overlooked. This book develops a novel framework that unpacks the demand for law in Russia, building on an original enterprise survey as well as extensive interviews with lawyers, firms, and private security agencies. By tracing the evolution of firms' reliance on violence, corruption, and law over the two decades following the Soviet Union's collapse, the book clarifies why firms in various contexts may turn to law for property rights protection, even if legal institutions remain ineffective or corrupt. The author's detailed demand-side analysis of property rights draws attention to the extensive role that law plays in the Russian business world, contrary to frequent depictions of Russia as lawless.

'When do firms turn from private enforcers to the state to protect their property? Jordan Gans-Morse takes up this central question in political economy in his study of the evolution of strategies to strengthen property rights in contemporary Russia. Focusing on the demand-side determinants of firm strategies, he deftly depicts how strategic interaction among firms, the concentration of ownership, and market conditions shape decisions to turn to the state for protection. This is an excellent contribution to the growing literature on property rights in comparative politics.'

Timothy Frye - Chair, Department of Political Science, Columbia University, New York

'Organized crime, business-state relations, post-communist legal development - Jordan Gans-Morse’s brilliant Property Rights in Post-Soviet Russia ties it all together. Read this book and find out why Russia today is so different from Russia in the 1990s.'

Scott Gehlbach - University of Wisconsin, Madison

'When do firms rely on violence to enforce contracts? And why would they turn to the law, even when it does not work? Jordan Gans-Morse’s book is a fascinating, clear and compelling answer to these timely puzzles. Bringing in a wealth of diverse evidence, he argues the firms’ counterfactual thinking and beliefs about the barriers to using the law lie at the heart of their decision-making. The implications for the study of property rights, institutional formation, and state capacity are enormous.'

Anna Grzymala-Busse - Michelle and Kevin Douglas Professor of International Studies Department of Political Science, Stanford University, California