Gavin Slade is a graduate of the Central European University, Budapest. His main interests lie in the field of state-society relations with particular reference to the subversion of the state within society and the political economy of the mafia in weak states. Other interests are Russian politics, political theory, and the role of ideology, discourse, and symbolism in politics.

Read his article: The Threat of the Thief: Who Has Normative Influence in Georgian Society?