Freedom in Sight

The Russian Federation has experienced rapid growth and investment during its transition period, yet its citizens seem to be no better off than they were previously. Why has Foreign Direct Investment failed to improve the lives of the people and why has Amartya Sen’s cyclical freedom and capability development feedback mechanism not taken hold? Russia’s over reliance on the energy industries to inflate GDP growth and keep the country afloat has resulted in a pattern of faux-development throughout the country, preventing any meaningful development of freedoms people enjoy from occurring. Until foreign investment is diversified, giving a broader spectrum of the population the economic opportunity necessary to advance in society, Russians will continue to experience crippling poverty, declining quality of life and higher mortality rates than many other transition countries.