Discussion: why the erosion in political rights, civil liberties, and democracy happened in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union.
1: Focusing only on the pre-Putin period (pre-1999), please explain key causes for this largely unexpected reversal of political change in Russia.
2: Focusing on the Putin Era (2000 to 2013), explain how the Russian polity steadily evolved into a system that some call 'competitive authoritarianism'.
Support your work by citing sources according to APA standards.