GV551week 18

1
GV-551-week 18

• 1. Executive vs. Legislative

2
The executive I

• Presidential and parliamentary systems which one
  is appropriate for a transitional democracy?
• Presidential
• Winner takes it all
• Double mandate
• Presidents personality
• Parliamentary
• Luxury afforded in mature democracies
• Organizational weakness

3
The executive II

• The emergence of presidential politics
• PM limited powers
• Yeltsins opportunities and willingness
• Similarities to previous regimes
• Powers vested to the president
• Institutions related to presidency
• Presidential Administration
• Security Council
• The role of Prime Minister
• Gaidar
• Chernomyrdin
• Primakov
• Putin

4
Elites and executive power

• Regional elites and executive power
• Presidential representatives and regional
  governors
• Elites, politics, and weak state structures
• Economic elites from the past
• Putins attack on federalism

5
The legislative

• Electoral procedures
• Parliament and impeachment
• Parliament and the role of PM
• The role of Federal Council
• Parliamentarism and Russian Politics

6
Elections and Russian Politics

• Absence of founding election
• Electoral system mixture of quasi-elections and
  referenda
• Old struggles between Atlanticists vs.
  Eurasianists
• High levels of turnout
• Reinforcement of charismatic authority
• Control over the democratic process, but also
  stabilization