Workshop Proposal: Russian Elite Attitudes Toward Conflict and the West

在过去的两年中，俄罗斯和美国的关系发生了翻天覆地的变化。美俄关系目前比1985年米哈伊尔•戈尔巴乔夫（Mikhail Gorbachev）时代开始以来的任何时候都更具对抗性。该项目召集了两个研讨会来分析这场冲突的根源，汇集了来自美国、欧洲和俄罗斯的主要学者。学者们将根据从1993年到2016年对俄罗斯联邦官僚机构、议会、军事和安全机构、私营企业、国有企业、大学和学术研究机构以及主要媒体工作的1600多名高层人士的一系列采访来分析和发表论文。这些论文将以合编的形式出版，政策专家和学者都应该对此感兴趣。通过探索大批俄罗斯精英的外交政策态度，该项目应该能促进对俄罗斯最近在后苏联地区的好战行为及其对西方的对抗立场的原因和可能的缓和方式的更深入理解。技术摘要：我们计划召开两次研讨会，分析俄罗斯与美国之间再起的冲突的根源，这种冲突伴随着普京总统在2012年重返总统宝座。来自美国、欧洲和俄罗斯的顶尖学者将根据一个独特的数据来源——对俄罗斯联邦官僚机构、议会、军事和安全机构、私营企业、国有企业、大学和学术研究机构以及主要媒体机构的高层人士的一系列采访——分析并发表论文。该系列自1993年以来每四年进行一次，一直持续到2016年，包括七波。它包括1664项调查，其特点是采用一致的调查方法，使用同一家莫斯科民意调查公司，并复制了大多数调查问题。这些是现存的俄罗斯精英的唯一重复的横断面调查数据，因此，构成了学术界的独特资源。利用这些数据撰写的论文将以合编的形式出版，政策专家和学者都应该对此感兴趣。通过探索大批俄罗斯精英的外交政策态度，该项目应该能促进对俄罗斯最近在后苏联地区的好战行为及其对西方的对抗立场的原因和可能的缓和方式的更深入理解。

GENERAL ABSTRACTOver the past two years, the relationship between Russia and the U.S. has undergone a seismic shift. US-Russian relations are now more confrontational than at any point since the Mikhail Gorbachev era began in 1985. This project convenes two workshops to analyze the sources of this conflict, bringing together leading scholars from the U.S., Europe, and Russia. Scholars will analyze and present papers based on a series of more than 1600 interviews with high-ranking individuals working in Russia's federal bureaucracy, parliament, military and security agencies, private businesses, state-owned enterprises, universities and academic research institutes, and major media outlets that spans a period from 1993 to 2016. These papers will be published as a co-edited volume that should be of interest to policy experts and academics alike. By exploring the foreign policy attitudes of a broad swath of Russian elites, the project should promote a deeper understanding of the causes of -- and possible ways to moderate -- Russia's recent belligerence in the post-Soviet region and its confrontational stance toward the West.TECHNICAL ABSTRACTWe plan to convene two workshops to analyze the sources of the resurgent conflict between Russia and the U.S. that has accompanied President Vladimir Putin's return to the presidency in 2012. Leading scholars from the U.S., Europe, and Russia will analyze and present papers based on a unique data source -- a series of interviews of high-ranking individuals working in Russia's federal bureaucracy, parliament, military and security agencies, private businesses, state-owned enterprises, universities and academic research institutes, and major media outlets. The series, conducted on a quadrennial basis since 1993 and extending to 2016, consists of seven waves. It includes 1,664 surveys that feature a consistent survey methodology, the use of the same Moscow-based polling firm, and the replication of most survey questions. These are the only repeated cross-sectional survey data of Russian elites extant anywhere and as such, constitute a unique resource for the scholarly community. The papers written using the data will be published as a co-edited volume that should be of interest to policy experts and academics alike. By exploring the foreign policy attitudes of a broad swath of Russian elites, the project should promote a deeper understanding of the causes of -- and possible ways to moderate -- Russia's recent belligerence in the post-Soviet region and its confrontational stance toward the West.