with some of the greatest challenges in establishing a stable democracy. Phillipe Smitter writes, "There is .
no simply democratic way of deciding what a nation and its corresponding political unit should be- .
(Smitter 66). Later in his article, he writes "those that have not yet resolved the dilemma of defining their .
national and territorial boundaries are unlikely to make much more progress in other domains- (Smitter .
73). The dilemma facing the Russian Federation is that it finds itself with a charge of establishing and .
following democratic institutions, while at the same time facing secessionary pressures that seem to .
require extra-democratic means to preserve the integrity of the nation.
Nationalism in multiethnic areas in the Russian Federation has provided a substantial challenge for .
democratization. There is a direct relationship between democratization and ethnic peace (Smitter 72). In .
a democratically weak society, ethnicity assumes a stronger role, and when democracy and ethnicity are .
balanced, political stability is possible. As a result of a lack of democratic institutions and channels for .
dialogue, Russia's inhabitants are now increasingly identifying themselves as members of ethnic groups .
rather than as citizens of the Russian Federation (Drobizheva).
An important development in center-periphery relations is the growing importance of "economic .
nationalism,"" an effort to create an economic basis for political independence. Economic nationalism is a .
protective defense against the Russian federal government's economic dominance. Alternatively, it is also .
a sign that the republics wish to retain relations with Moscow since politics remains primarily in the .
hands of the center (Drobizheva).
For example, Tatarstan and Sakha-Yakutia both have a wealth of natural resources, giving them a .
potential advantage in economic development and a desire to establish control over these resources.