Moscow was able to consolidate its domestic authority and assert itself globally during Russia’s economic boom, but economic, security, and governance crises have shaken the regime's confidence, according to a policy paper by Sam Greene and Dmitry Trenin of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"As the Kremlin centralized power, leaders cut themselves off from public feedback, leading to a disconnect between realities and several disastrous policy initiatives. While the Kremlin is slowly opening to outside opinions, it must rebuild trust among officials and nongovernmental experts if it is to revive a true dialogue," the authors contend.

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=24658