Help me understand why the erosion in political rights, civil liberties and democracy happened in the Russia after fall of the Soviet Union.
a) Focusing just on the pre-Putin period (pre-1999), please describe key causes for this largely unexpected reversal of political change in Russia.
b) Focusing on the Putin Era (2000 to 2013), describe how the Russian polity steadily evolved to a system which some call 'competitive authoritarianism'.