The Limits of Reform: The Ministry of Internal Affairs in Imperial Russia, 1802-1881

The Limits of Reform examines the institutional, social, and cultural foundations of bureaucratic power and authority in Imperial Russia using the deeply rooted and wide ranging Ministry of Internal Affairs as example. The author develops the concept of “Ministerial Power” to explain the enduring and highly personalized mode of authority in Russian history. This analysis and concept have implications for understanding both Soviet and post-Soviet governmental institutions.