Matthew Light

Mr. Light's project explores the consequences of the breakdown of Russia's isolation for the viability and structure of the Russian Federation and the political identity of its citizens. He hopes to answer the question of how Russia's involvement in the global economy has affected the viability and structure of the Russian Federation, and how the same causal factors influence the formation of a Russian national identity. Mr. Light hopes to show that Russia's full participation in the global economy and the accompanying increased pressures on the federal system are increasing the saliency of sub-national political identities. At Moscow State University, Mr. Light plans to engage in library research and interview political elites. He also hopes to visit the Moscow Carnegie Center and the Program on New Approaches to Russian Security.