Jordan Gans-Morse discusses his book, "Property Rights in Post-Soviet Russia: Violence, Corruption," and "Demand for Law" (Cambridge University Press, 2017). 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. Property Rights in Post-Soviet Russia 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. Gans-Morse’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.

Jordan Gans-Morse is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Northwestern University. His ongoing research focuses on corruption, the rule of law, property rights, and political and economic transitions.