Brezhnev - Society

1970s shops for members of the party KGB, MVD government and party

• vouchers for first class produce
• 200 rubles could feed a family of five - the equivalent elsewhere would cost 500-600

Social Contract

Social benefits in return for obedience

Five main beliefs - 

• Social mobility
• Employment
• Low prices for essentials
• Free healthcare
• Interference free second economy (black market)
• Extended subsidies to holidays

Social Stability - Lack of opposition

• Failing to tackle underlying problems
• Hidden unemployment of about 20% - being paid but not doing a useful job
• Infants mortality rates increasing in the 1970s
• Life expectancy falling too (alcohol a major problem)
• Female unemployment rising

Conclusion

The 'social contract' lead to a lot of stability but it also gave rise to old problems remerging and stagnation. So stability was very successfully established but it wasn't necessarily the best thing for Russia.