Abstracts of Main Articles

HOW WE ARE GOING TO CELEBRATE «GOOD ROUND» AND «RED» ANNIVERSARY

Author

Melentiev A.Yu., PhD (Economics), editor-in-charge, Rossiysky Ekonomichesky Zhurnal

Abstract

The author describes how the journal is going to cover the 100 year anniversary of the October revolution. This anniversary is planned to be celebrated not by depolitizing it but by presenting set of papers (new as well as reprinting the best ones from the journal archive), which corresponds to the ideological orientation of Rossiysky Ekonomichesky Zhurnal, being a Center-Leftist title, where among active authors are supporters of both the left (scientific socialist, Marxist) social science tradition and centrist (social democratic, left liberal) orientation. Common views of both these groups include developing in Russia an indicative system of planning at macroeconomic level that will cover different forecasting horizons; implying a vigorous structure and industrial public policy as well as socially oriented public policy and moving towards social state. For the set of anniversary materials editors have decided to use «Retrospection and the present» section, modifying it by adding the words about the 100 year anniversary and using a subsection, named «From the journal’s archive».

Key words

Great October Socialist Revolution; Proclamation by President of The Russian Federation № 412 from December 19 2016; antisocialist revolution of 1989—1991; radical liberalism; V.I. Lenin; Communist Party of the Russian Federation; Russian Orthodox Church; G.A. Zyuganov; Patriarch Kirill; O. Lafontaine.

 

THE OCTOBER OF 1917, THE SOCIALIST PROJECT AND RUSSIA’S SOVEREIGNTY

Author

Lyubinin A.B., ScD (Economics), Professor

Abstract

The paper develops and integrates results of research, published previously in Rossiysky Ekonomichesky Zhurnal. The conventional issue of Russia’s unique role in the destiny of socialist idea is considered by the author in conjunction with the opposite question — about the unique role of the socialist project in the destiny of our country, in maintaining Russia’s sovereignty and unity, as well as ensuring Russia’s true greatness in the 20th century, that was the period of the highest capabilities of Russia as a great power.

Key words

the October revolution; the socialist project; soviet socialism; transitional period from capitalism to socialism; transitional economic forms; Great Russia; Russian world; the February revolution; First World War; soviet regime; new economic policy; collectivization; socialist industrialization; Second World War; post-war reconstruction; cold war; K. Marx; F. Engels; V.I. Lenin; I.V. Stalin; P.A. Stolypin; Nicholas II of Russia.

 

TIME FACTOR IN LENIN’S METHODOLOGY OF POLITICAL DECISIONS SUBSTANTIATION: EXAMPLES OF 1917 — THE BEGINNG OF 1918

Author

Frolov A.K., philosopher and political scientist, columnist of «The Sovetskaya Rossia» newspaper

Abstract

In the paper, reprinted from Rossiysky Ekonomichesky Zhurnal issue 2 of 2010, logic of making political decisions by the Bolshevists Party 100 years ago, which ensured necessary conditions for beginning of implementation of the socialist project in Russia, is reconstructed in details. Inviting readers to V.I. Lenin’s «political library», the author describes its role in 1917 — at the beginning of 1918 in creative development of the system of issues crucial for this project and Russia’s sovereignty as a country. Among them are: 1) transforming bourgeois-democratic revolution into socialist one (use of energy of masses accumulated by the February of 1917 into solving political tasks driven directly by socialist project aimes); 2) withdrawal from the imperialistic war and moving from defeatism to «defensetism» due to fundamental change of the war; 3) dynamic change in revolutionary process between «pebble» and «bulletin» roles (dictatorship enforcement vs. mass voting); 4) choosing the optimal time to take power; 5) reasons of forming and dissolution the Constituent assembly; 6) role of petty-bourgeois socialist parties in unleashing the Civil war and making it sanguinary; 7) signing of «obscene» Treaty of Brest-Litovsk for saving soviet regime and Russia’s sovereignty. Counter-evidences are introduced to the myths fabricated on these topics during the current «anniversary» debate: from a statement that Lenin «overslept» the February revolution to accusing the Bolsheviks leader of «cruelty», «traitorous behavior», «spying for Germany» in 1917 – at the beginning of 1918.

Key words

V.I. Lenin; the Bolshevists Party; the February revolution; the Russian Provisional Government; the October revolution; the Second Congress of Soviets; First World War; imperialistic war; Civil war; petty-bourgeois socialist parties; Treaty of Brest-Litovsk; Nicholas II of Russia; P.A. Stolypin; A.I. Guchkov; P.N. Milyukov; A.F. Kerensky; J. Reed.

 

WHAT WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF

Author

Lifshits M.A., ScD (Philosophy), Professor, full member of USSR Academy of Arts

Abstract

The extensive popular science paper by an outstanding soviet philosopher, publicist and acknowledged encyclopedist, which was initially published in Communist Journal (issue 2 of 1978), had a substantial impact on social debates about unanimity of views and pluralism just before and during Perestroika period. In 2007 it was reprinted in issues 7-8 of within the set of materials devoted to the 140th anniversary of publishing the first volume of «Capital» by K. Marx. Now it is reprinted again in subsection, named «From the journal’s archive», of the «Retrospection and the present: for the 100 year anniversary of the October revolution» section. Based on thorough (detailed, with the use of enormous material of Russian and world history of social concepts) the author gives the following answer to the question from the heading: we should not afraid of following the classical Marxist tradition. According to the author, it contradicts not the creative freedom but «uncontrolled permissiveness and stupidity», which is fully compatible with «arbitrary ruling».

Key words

Marxism; Marxism vulgarization; Marx; «Capital» by K. Marx; Engels; Hegel; Lenin; Leninism; the October revolution; Herzen; Chernyshevsky; Plekhanov; Voltaire; Diderot; Lessing; Roger Bacon; Popper; Horkheimer; Adorno; alchemy; modernism; unanimity of views and pluralism.

 

J. K. GALBRAITH’S «PLANNING SYSTEM»: 50 YEARS AFTER

Author

Porokhovsky A.A., ScD (Economics), Professor, head of Department of Political Economy, Faculty of Economics, Lomonosov Moscow State University

Abstract

Topic of the paper is the oeuvre of John Kenneth Galbraith, a famous American scientist (1908—2006). In his research and popular science works, which differ from the mainstream of neoclassical economic theory and develop traditional («old») institutionalism, core tendencies and possible directions of development of capitalist economy are revealed. The author focuses on those key elements of Galbraith’s oeuvre, that are grounded on findings about planning system associated with large corporations within capitalist economy. The findings under consideration were introduced half a century ago but are being confirmed on turn of the century. New challenges are discussed, that influence corporate activity and development of national and global economy, as well as reaction on the challenges and how it impacts the newest evolution of general economic theory (political economy). After thorough investigation of Galbraith works and corresponding economic realities, the author of the paper comes to a conclusion, that the planning system is not panacea or magic cure of positive solving immanent contradictions of capitalism but there is no progress without such a system.

Key words

J.K. Galbraith; planning system in large corporations; market economy; capitalist economy; multinational (global) corporations; mixed economy; variety of forms of private property and capital; managerial revolution; the forth industrial revolution; T. Veblen; A. Chandler; M. Porter; I. Ansoff; V.I. Lenin’s «Imperialism - the highest stage of capitalism»; S.M. Menshikov.

 

HIGH-SPEED RAIL TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT AS A FACTOR OF GREENING THE HI-TECH INDUSTRY PRODUCTION IN RUSSIA

Author

Lavrinenko P.A., research fellow, Institute of Economic Forecasting RAS

Abstract

The author formulates two statements as initial points of the conducted research. First of all, as transport sector is among the largest CO2 emitters of the contemporary global economy, intensive efforts have been implemented to improve environmental grade of all current transport types including rail by using strategies of green growth and moving towards low-carbon economy in countries participating in Kyoto Protocol process and countries starting to develop Paris Climate Agreement national roadmaps. Secondly, one of the key directions and high priorities of such green strategies regarding rail transport is designing and implementation of plans (programs, projects) of constructing and operating high-speed rail networks. In his second statement, the author discusses prospects and impacts of high-speed rail transport in Russia paying main attention to public transport segment. Decomposing this issue, he, first of all, evaluates environmental benefits of high-speed transport, based on classification of environmental impacts from constructing and operating high-speed rail, available in literature, including carbon intensity benefits of high-speed trains comparing to conventional trains. Secondly, structure of energy sources used in providing electricity for rail infrastructure is analyzed and potential of renewable energy for developing high-speed rail is pointed out. Thirdly, using case study of Moscow-Kazan high-speed railway, which has been under development, calculations are made to estimate possible CO2 emissions reduction by all types of public rail transport on the route.

Even though calculations made refer only to one high speed railway they clearly demonstrate that environmental efficiency of constructing and operating high speed rail network in Russia, planned according to the Transport strategy of the Russian Federation up to 2030, is likely to be substantial. This is one of arguments in favor of rapid high speed rail transport development, which is capable of boosting the further greening of domestic high-tech manufacturing sectors that support such a process.

Key words

green growth strategies; CO2 emissions; low-carbon economy; Kyoto and Paris processes; renewable energy; rail transport modernization; rail environmental grades; high-speed rail and high-speed trains; classification of environmental impacts from constructing and operating high-speed railway; high-speed railway «Moscow—Kazan»; Transport Strategy of the Russian Federation up to 2030.

 

ON HANDBOOK «SOCIO-ECONOMIC HISTORY OF RUSSIA» BY FELLOWS FOR DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY OF NATIONAL ECONOMY AND ECONOMIC THOUGHT, FACULTY OF ECONOMICS, LOMONOSOV MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY

Editorial introduction (in Criticism and Bibliography section) of a book published by INFRA-M Publishing house in «Higher education — Bachelor» series and recommended by Russian Ministry of Education and Science as a handbook for students of institutes of higher education studying at programs 38.03.01 «Economics», 38.03.02 «Management» and 38.03.04 «Public and municipal administration» [Bachelor Degree]. The book has the following annotation: «The hand-book is focused on describing key points of socio-economic development of Russia from the ancient times to the beginning of the 21st century. Some topical issues at various periods of Russian history are investigated such as population structure, economic reforms, socio-economic public policy, shadow economy. The handbook fits the requirements of the federal state higher educational standard of the latest generation. It is aimed at bachelors, masters, post-graduate students and wide audience interested in history of Russia».

In the material, firstly, the cited above annotation is reproduced. Secondly, structure of the book is described consisting of 19 lectures and electronic supplements to them. The supplements include: a) research papers on the most topical issues of the lectures; b) statistic and factsheet sets of information in text and table forms; c) thorough lists of references (official documents and pieces of literary culture) and their texts or text fragments. Thirdly, the book’s foreword is published, written by A.G. Hudokormov, head of the author team and the title editor, doctor of Science (Economics), professor, head of Department of history of national economy and economic thought, Faculty of Economics, Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Key words (of the foreword by A.G. Hudokormov): reforms of Peter the Great; liberal reforms of 1860—1870s; policy of war communism and new economic policy; First World War; Civil war and soviet-polish war; Kosygin’s reform; long waves of economic activity founded by N.D. Kondratiev; global economic crisis of 2008—2009; social and regulated market economy.

 

INVESTMENT AND SAVING STRATEGIES OF HIGH-INCOME POPULATION GROUPS (INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION OF A MONOGRAPH BY RESEARCHERS FROM INSTITUTE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC STUDIES OF POPULATION, RAS)

Author

Aleksandrova O.A., ScD (Economics), Professor, deputy director for research with Institute of socio-economic studies of population, RAS, Professor of Department of applied sociology with the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation

Abstract

In the editorial preamble to the authors’ text it is pointed out that, though it is understandable that in current (close to critical) social situation analytics pay primary attention to low-income and middle-income population stratum, it does not make less important for economists and sociologists to investigate behavior patterns of high-income population groups, which significantly influence dynamics of effective demand and investment process. The given monograph by the ISESP RAS team partly helps to reduce this research gap. As O.A. Aleksandrova, the head of the research team and one of the title editors, points out, the book describes results of the research conducted by the ISESP RAS team at the end of 2014 in Russian cities (Voronezh, Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Krasnodar, Moscow, Nizhniy Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don and Saint-Petersburg) and presents models of investment and saving behavior of high-income population groups. Influence, of how these citizens estimate situation in the country’s banking system and in economy as a whole, on the choice of a particular model is shown; grounding mechanism of forming their opinions and expectations is defined. Approaches of high-income households to choosing a bank or a type of deposit and their willingness for using different channels of investments are analyzed. Approaches of high-income population groups to using loans and pension plans are revealed.

The book is aimed at not only financial professionals, researchers, teachers and post-graduate students but also specialists in public sector. As the author puts it, understanding how comparably small high-income groups invest their savings supports developing public policy measures that allow transforming these groups’ accumulated savings into constructive direction, i.e. investing it into Russia’s economy.

Key words

high income population groups (households); personal investment and saving strategies; Russia’s banking system; debit card with overdraft; deposit insurance system; Deposit Insurance Agency of Russia; pension system; defined contribution pension plan and hybrid pension plans; focused interview; ISESP RAS.