This work of a well-known liberal economist explores the impact of the 1993 Basic Law of Russia on economic processes. Considering the provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the author tries to prove that it establishes the optimal political and legal model of post-communist Russia development. In his opinion, only strong executive power can guarantee the success of political transformations and the construction of new type economy. While calling the political regime created by the Constitution «authoritarian,» Vladimir Mau does not consider authoritarianism exceptional for market democracies. «Crisis breeds authoritarianism,» he emphasizes. — The existing Constitution, which sets the balance of power with a clear shift of equilibrium toward the executive branch (and primarily the president), is a kind of compromise that ensures the preservation of the constitutional-democratic system in a society with divided and opposing interests".