Russia

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Russia

• Can you name the Russian/Soviet leaders of the
  20th century?

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Lenin, Stalin, Krushchev
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Kruschev, Brezhnev, Andropov
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Chernenko, Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Putin
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Dmitri Medvedev
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Introduction to Russia

• The Superpowers
• Economic, Political, Social and Cultural patterns
• Collapse in 1991
• Russian Federation

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New Constitution

• Yeltsin 1st President of Russian Federation
• Shock Therapy
• Competitive elections
• Putin elected 2000 election 2007
• Russia unpredictable

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The Sources of Public Authority and political
power

• 20th century public authority and political power
  emanated from one place the Politburo of the
  Communist Party.
• Todays new government structure has
  questionable legitimacy

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Legitimacy

• Marxism-Leninism provided the legitimacy base for
  the party, with its ideology of democratic
  centralism, or rule by a few for the benefit of
  the many.
• Stalinism changed the regime to totalitarianism,
  a more complete, invasive form of strong-man rule
  than the tsars ever were able to implement.
• The reformers Nikita Khrushchev and Mikhail
  Gorbachev
• Constitution of 1993
• 2000 presidential transition from Yeltsin to Putin

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Historical legacies

• Several legacies from Russian history shape the
  modern political system
• Absolute, centralized rule
• Extensive cultural heterogeneity
• Slavophile v. westernizer
• Revolutions of the 20th century

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Political Culture

• Russia's political culture has been shaped by its
  geographic setting, cultural orientation, and
  conflicting attitudes toward the state.
• Geographical Setting
• Eastern Orthodoxy
• Equality of result, not equality of
• Hostility toward the Government
• The importance of nationality

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Map of Russia
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Political Change

• History categorized by three distinct periods
• A long period of autocratic rule by tsars
• 20th century rule by the Communist Party
• Abrupt regime change to democracy and a free
  market in 1991

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Tsarist Rule

• Western Influence
• 19th century tsars

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Revolution of 1917 Lenin and Stalin

• Lenin and the Bolsheviks
• Stalinism
• Collectivism and Industrialization
• Stalins foreign policy
• The purges

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Reforms under Khruschev and Gorbachev

• De-Stalinization
• peaceful co-existence
• Brezhnev
• Gorbachev

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Glasnost

• This term translates from the Russian as
  "openness," and it allowed more open discussion
  of political, social and economic issues as well
  as open criticism of the government. Although
  this reform was applauded by western nations, it
  caused many problems for Gorbachev. After so many
  years of repression, people vented hostility
  toward the government that encouraged open
  revolt, particularly among some of the republics
  that wanted independence from Soviet control.

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Democratization

• Gorbachev believed that he could keep the old
  Soviet structure, including Communist Party
  control, but at the same time insert a little
  democracy into the system.
• Two such moves included the creation of
• 1) a new Congress of People's Deputies with
  directly elected representatives and
• 2) a new position of "President" that was
  selected by the Congress.
• The reforms did bring a bit of democracy.
  However, many of the new deputies were critical
  of Gorbachev, increasing the level of discord
  within the government.

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Perestroika

• This economic reform was Gorbachev's most
  radical, and also his least successful. Again, he
  tried to keep the old Soviet structure, and
  modernize from within.
• Transferred many economic powers held by the
  central government to private hands and the
  market economy.
• Specific reforms included authorization of some
  privately owned companies, penalties for
  underperforming state factories, leasing of farm
  land outside the collective farms, price reforms,
  and encouragement of joint ventures with foreign
  companies.

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Failed Coup and the Revolution of 1991

• Popular protests
• Yeltsin
• Independence of Republics

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Russian Federation 1991-present

• Constitution of 1993
• Duma
• Constitutional Council
• Putin

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Society and Politics

• Nationality
• Federation v. autonomous regions
• Chechnya
• Religion
• Social Class
• Rural v. Urban

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Citizen and State

• Beliefs and attitudes
• Mistrust of the government
• Statism
• Economic beliefs
• westernization

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Political Participation

• Voting close to 100 during Soviet Rule
• Until Gorbachev elections were not competitive
• Duma Elections lower turnout

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Political Framework

• Federal government structure
• Eighty-nine regions
• republics
• Centralized federation

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Parties

• Parties often revolve around leaders
• Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF)
• Unity
• Yabloko
• Union of Right Forces
• Fatherland All Russia
• Liberal Democrats

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Elections

• The Russian political system supports three types
  of national votes
• Referendum
• Duma Elections
• Presidential elections

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Interest Groups

• Interest groups were not formally allowed in the
  Soviet Union.
• Market capitalism suddenly replaced centralized
  economic control in 1991.
• Those that bought the state-owned industries were
  generally insiders (members of the nomenclatura)
  who have since become quite wealthy.
• This collection of oligarchs may be defined
  loosely as an interest group because they have
  been a major influence on the policy-making
  process during the formative years of the Russian
  Federation.

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The Oligarchy

• Boris Berezovsky
• Putin has shown some resistance to oligarchic
  control.
• Gusinsky
• Both Berezovsky and Gusinsky are now in exile,
  but they still have close political and economic
  connections in Russia.

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The Russian Mafia

• Interest group controls much more than underworld
  crime.
• Like the oligarchs, they gained control during
  the chaotic time after the Revolution of 1991,
  and they control local businesses, natural
  resources, and banks.
• In Russia's past, lawlessness has been dealt with
  by repressive, authoritarian rule, and these
  groups represent a major threat to the survival
  of the new democracy.

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Government Institutions

• President and Prime Minister
• Bicameral Legislature
• Duma
• Federation Council
• The Judiciary
• The Military

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Public Policy and Current Issues

• The Economy
• Foreign Affairs
• Civil Society

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Terms to know
Nomenklatura Oligarchy Politburo Putin shock
therapy Slavophile Stalinism Totalitarianism Tsar
s Yabloko Yeltisin

• Bosheviks
• Chechnya
• Collectivization
• Democratic centralism
• Duma
• Federation Council
• Five Year Plans
• General secretary
• Kulaks
• Marxism
• Mensheviks

Information in the above presentation adapted
from Comparative Government and Politics by
Ethel Wood.
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