Research That Matters Podcast - A Global Deep Dive

Episode 16:Russia - Increased Corruption and Deterioration of Freedom, Is there Hope?

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Publication Date

2-12-2026

Description

Russia corruption, authoritarianism, nonprofit freedom, civil society under repression, anti-corruption efforts, rule of law, democracy and accountability

In this episode of Making a Difference: A Research for Practice Podcast, we explore the thought paper “Russia: Increased Corruption and Deterioration of Freedom, Is there Hope?” published in the Journal of Nonprofit Innovation.

This research examines how political corruption has intensified in Russia under Vladimir Putin’s rule, highlighting five structural drivers of corruption—including centralization of power, media control, weakening of the judiciary, state-owned enterprise manipulation, and organized crime influence. The episode also explores the economic, social, and national security consequences of systemic corruption, including stagnation, inequality, erosion of trust, and weakened institutions.

We examine both government-led and citizen-led anti-corruption efforts, including the work of Alexei Navalny and the Anti-Corruption Foundation, and discuss the psychological concept of “learned helplessness” as it relates to civic disengagement under authoritarian conditions. The conversation concludes with ten structural reforms necessary to restore freedom, strengthen civil society, and rebuild institutional trust.

Designed for nonprofit leaders, policymakers, researchers, and global civil society advocates, this episode invites listeners to consider a central question: In the face of increasing repression, is there still hope for institutional reform and expanded freedom?

Comments

This episode is based on the article “Russia: Increased Corruption and Deterioration of Freedom, Is there Hope?” published in the Journal of Nonprofit Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 1 (March 2024), available at https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/joni/vol4/iss1/6/, and was converted into an audio format using Google’s NotebookLM to make the research more accessible through podcast listening

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