A dual state has emerged in Russia, in which the normative/legal system +based on constitutional order is challenged by shadowy arbitrary arrangements, called in this article the “administrative regime”, populated by various conflicting factions. The tension between the two is the defining feature of contemporary Russian politics. Neither can predominate over the other, but the relationship between the two is the critical area in which politics is conducted. The balance between the two pillars has brought contemporary Russia into a condition of stalemate. The forces for renewal and complex political and social modernization are counter-balanced by those maintaining continued administrative management of political processes.