The Political System of Russia

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Session 11 The Political System of Russia
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Successor States of the Soviet Union
Slavic States Russia Belarus Ukraine
Baltic States Estonia Latvia Lithuania
Transcaucasian States Armenia
Azerbaijan Georgia
Central Asian States Kyrgyzstan Turkmenistan
Kazakhstan Tajikistan Uzbekistan
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
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Stages of Russian History
962 Kievan Rus Slavic people governed by
Vikings (Rurik dynasty) 988 Ruler of the Kievan
Rus adopts the Eastern-Orthodox version of
Christianity 1240 Tatars (Golden Horde) capture
Kiev 1480 Ivan III., prince of Moscow, finally
defeats the Tatars Russia adopts concepts
of Oriental Despotism by its orientation towards
the Byzantine Empire and its exposure to
Mongol rule Russia is isolated from the
emergence of liberal values in the
West 1453 Ottomans conquer Constantinople
(end of Byzantine Empire) Moscow
considers itself as the Third Rome taking
over the concept of Theocracy (Czar as the
head of Eastern Christianity) around
1700 State-dictated reforms by Peter the Great
(problem attempts to adopt Western military
and production technology without the liberal
concepts, values and worldviews from which
they emerged) Intellectual split into
Westernizers and Slavophiles Regular Peasant
upheavals and Palace Rebellions
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Accumulating Problems before the Revolution
Czarist Autocracy a regime far more despotic
than European Absolutism (tempered only by its
inefficiency) it remained unchanged right into
times when constitutional government became the
rule in Europe
Inefficient government rampant corruption,
technological and economic backwardness, series
of lost wars (1905 against Japan)
Labor-repressive regime on land (tradition of
Russian serfdom) latest European
nation officially banning serfdom (1861)
Social tensions linked with beginning
industrialization
Revolutionary year 1905 Bloody Sunday (January
22nd), October Manifesto, Elections to a
representative assembly, the Duma. However, All
reform initiatives Blocked, no power at all
transferred to the Duma.
Unsuccessful involvement in World War I
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The October (November) Revolution 1917
World War I Food shortages, internal chaos.
March 1917 Duma meeting announcement of a
provisional government under Alexander Kerensky
presses the Czar to abdicate.
The provisional government postpones important
measures that would be necessary to solve the
most pressing problems until the announced
election of a Constituent Assembly
In a coup, the Bolsheviks seize power and issue a
number of decrees. As the Constituent Assembly is
elected but fails to ratify the Bolsheviks
program, it is simply dissolved.
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Cyclical Reforms and Reversals in the Communist
Era
Lenins New Economic Policy (NEP-period) in
order to solve the post-war crisis,
granting individual property rights on land and
free market trade.
Late 1920s Beginning of a forced
collectivization program under Stalin,
establishing the socialist economy.
After WW II End of the Socialism in One
Country ideology Soviet Union becomes a
nuclear superpower with an immensely increased
orbit of influence in Eastern Europe beginning
to favor communist liberation movements all over
the Third World
1956-1964 Because of obvious economic
inefficiencies, Nikita Khrushchev starts a
liberalization campaign (Libermanism)
comprising decentralization, more competition,
more individual responsibility in economic
decisions. Thaw period in relation to the U.S.
Part of the de-Stalinization program is that the
decision making process is more strictly bound to
formal procedures
1964-1982 Khrushchev is ousted because his
reforms oppose the vested interests of
the conservative planning bureaucracy. Leonid
Breshnev reverses all liberalizing reform
elements, re-centralizes and stiffens the
system beginning stagnation.
Problems of imperial over-stretch (Afghanistan).
Arms-race, intensified by Reagan (SDI), brings
the SU to the limits of its capacities.
Gerontocracy-effect after Breshnevs death, the
succeeding two General Secretaries of the CPSU
(Andropow 1983, Chernenko 1984) only survive for
one year each
In 1985, Gorbachev becomes the new General
Secretary of the CPSU.
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The Political System of the SU
CPSU Party Congress (some 5,000 delegates, meets
every five years)
nomination proposals
affirmation
Central Committee (some 500 members, meet twice a
year)
nomination proposals
affirmation
Nomenklatura
Politburo, Secretariat (20 members, meets weekly)
ratifying decisions
implementing decisions
Supreme Soviet (legislature)
Council of Ministers (executive)
The system is duplicated at the level of
republics.
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The Reform Era under Gorbachev
Starting a reform initiative under the slogans of
glasnost (openness) and perestroika
(restructuring)
27th Party Congress 1986, 28th Party Congress
1990 - Shift of power from party bodies to state
agencies - Competitive election to party bodies
(multicandidate elections, secret ballots) -
Democratic elections to a new Congress of
Peoples Deputies
At the congress held in 1990, Gorbachev proposed
a presidential system. He himself has been
elected by the Congress as the first (and last)
President of the USSR. In respective amendments
to the Soviet constitution, extensive emergency
powers have been assigned to the President. The
1993 Russian constitution continues this pattern.

Boris Yeltsin, removed from the Politburo in 1987
because of his continuous critique, won his
Moscow districts seat in the legislative
elections for the Congress of Peoples
Deputies (successor of the Supreme Soviet). In
1991 he won the Presidential elections in the
Russian republic.
Gorbachev looses support from both conservatives
and reformers
He uses his Presidential power to delay already
ratified reforms by a number of
decrees. Shewardnadze resigns with a protest
speech warning against dictatorial tendencies.
While Gorbachev replaces the radical 500 Day Plan
with a moderate version, the President of the
Russian Republic, Boris Yeltsin, proceeds with
the radical version.
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The End of the Soviet Union
Shortly before its end, the USSR was only
formally a Union of Soviet Republics. Now,
under glasnost, the single republics began to
demand autonomy and even independence.
In 1991, the Baltic republics declared their
secession (in accordance with the still
valid constitution of the USSR).
A new Union Treaty had to be negotiated that gave
more autonomy to the republics.
August 1991 Before Gorbachev could sign a new
Union Treaty, KGB-officials and some Ministers
take Gorbachev hostage and declare to have taken
over power. Thousands of people rally around
Yeltsin whostanding on a tank--demands the
conspirators to give up and he wins.
Gorbachevs authority is ultimately destroyed. He
resigns in December 1991 as President of the
Soviet Union. The SU is dissolved into 15
independent nations, 11 of which found the CIS as
a new federation.
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Russias Problems

• Russias and other republics success in
  declaring national independence came back to
• haunt them as minorities within their own
  territory demand independence
• Chechnya in Russia (Dagesthan in Chechnya)
• Abkhazia, Ossetia in Georgia
• Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenia/Azerbaijan

Economic Shock therapy Initiated by emergency
decrees after the 1991 coup (architect Egor
Gaidar) Considerable loss of government control
over law enforcement, huge tax evasion, asset
stripping of state officials, rampant
corruption, transition to kleptocracy (government
of thieves)
Use of violence Wars against Chechnya 1994
Yeltsin orders military invasion, after 2 years
Russian troops leave Chechnya largely destroyed
after Moscow appartment bombings in 1999, Putin
launches a new military campaing against Chechnya
1993 crisis Congress of Peoples Deputies does
not pass Yeltsins reform laws Yeltsin declares
the chamber dissolved the chamber declared that
Yeltsin is no longer President Yeltsin orders
the army to bomb the parliament
Institutional Power Struggle Reform-willing
President against legislature dominated by former
communists and extreme Nationalists (democratic
reformers in the minority)
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Vladimir Putin
Former KGB-career servant, announced Prime
Minister in August 1999 by Yeltsin Took decisive
action against Chechen rebels, nourishing the
image of a strong leader When Yeltsin resigned
as President, he became acting President and then
was elected
Recent Duma Elections (1999)
445 seats 225 by party lists, 225 SMD
Communist Party (Ziuganov) 24.3 Unity (Medved)
(Putin) 23.2 Fatherland-All Russia
(Chernomyrdin) 13.1 Union of Right
Forces 8.6 Zhirinovsky Bloc (LDPR) 6 Yabloko
(Grigorii Yavlinsky) 6
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The Formal Political System
1993 Constitution, Semi-Presidential System
similar to the French 5th Republic
National Parliament (Federal Assembly) Lower
Chamber (State Duma) Federation Council (2
members of each region)
All laws must pass the Federal Assembly.
Duma is elected. Federation council consists of
heads of executives (governors) and
representative bodies (dumas) of the regions.
Since 1996, governors are elected.
It needs two-thirds majorities in both chambers
to override Presidential vetos against
passed laws.
President elected by popular vote all five years.
The President can issue decrees with the force of
law. Parliament can override them by veto but
only with two-thirds majorities in both chambers.
President announces Prime Minister. The Duma
votes to confirm the PM. If it fails three times
to confirm, the President can dissolve the Duma.
The President can remove the PM at any time. This
leads to expert government instead of party
government.
There are 89 constituent territorial units, of
which 21 are republics.
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Features of Russian Political Culture
Percentage Solid Democrats 17 (Russia),
42 (average of post-communist societies
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Historical Roots of Democracy A Simplified Chain
of Causality
Labor-productive Agriculture Labor-intensive
Agriculture
Large Agrarian Surplus Small Agrarian Surplus
Sea Climate towards the West Continental Climate
towards the East
Advanced Urbanization Rudimentary Urbanization
Extended Markets, Dense Commercial
Networks Restricted Markets, Thin Commercial
Networks
Large, Prosperous and Self-Confident Middle
Classes Small, Weak and less Self-Confident
Middle Classes
Dense Civic Networks Thin Civic Networks
Strong Civil-societal Power Weak Civil-societal
Power
Liberty Values Strong Demands for
Representation Authoritarian Values Weak Demands
for Representation
Early Parliamentary Representation No or Late
Parliamentary Representation
Successful Liberal Revolutions against State
Absolutism Failing or Lacking Revolutions against
State Absolutism
Establishment of Responsible Government No
Establishment of Responsible Government
Industrialization leads to Democratic Extension
of Representation Industrialization leads to
Universal Suffrage but not to Responsible
Government
Western Story in Blue
Eastern Story in Red