POSC 1040 - Russia and China

Assimilation

Gradual adoption of prevailing culture by minority groups.

August 1991 Coup

Failed Soviet government attempt to oust Boris Yeltsin.

Authoritarianism

System with strong central power and limited freedoms.

Autonomous Region

Subdivision with self-governing freedom in a country.

Beslan Incident

Terrorist siege in 2004 resulting in 300+ deaths.

Bicameral

Legislative body with two chambers.

Bolsheviks

Russian socialist faction leading 1917 revolution.

Bourgeoisie

Capitalist class owning means of production.

Cadre

Core group of skilled individuals capable of teaching.

Capitalism

Economic system based on private ownership for profit.

Causal Mechanism

Pathway through which cause leads to effect.

Causation (conditions of)

Relationship between cause and effect.

Censorship

Suppression of speech or information.

Central Committee

Decision-making body in a communist party.

Central Military Commission (CMC)

Top body overseeing military affairs in communist states.

Centrally Planned Economy

State-controlled economic system for production and distribution.

Chechnya

Russian federal subject known for independence struggle.

Cheka

First Soviet state security organization.

Chekism

Soviet security ideology with secrecy and suppression.

China Road

China's unique blend of market economics with socialism.

Chinese Civil War

Conflict between Nationalist and Communist parties in China.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

Ruling party in China since 1949.

Civil Society

Non-governmental organizations representing citizen interests.

Classless Society

State with no classes and equal members.

Clientelistic Networks

Patron-client relationships exchanging resources for support.

Collective Leadership

Shared decision-making among leadership group.

Collectivisation

Policy consolidating land and labor into collective farms.

Commanding Heights

Economic sectors crucial for state control.

Communism

Political ideology for classless society with public property.

Communist Party (in Russia)

Soviet Union ruling party until 1991 dissolution.

Communist party-state

State ruled by communist party with intertwined government.

Confounds

Variables obscuring relationship between variables of interest.

Correlation

Measure of relationship between two variables predicting each other.

Corruption

Abuse of power for personal gain.

Crimea

Historically contested peninsula on Black Sea.

Cultural Pluralism

Maintenance of unique cultural identities within a society.

Cultural Revolution

Mao's movement to purge capitalist remnants from Chinese society.

Dalai Lama

Tibetan Buddhism spiritual leader traditionally governing Tibet.

Decentralisation

Transfer of control from central to local authorities.

Democracy

Government system by population through elected representatives.

Democratic centralism

Leadership method with binding decisions on all party members.

Democratic transition

Shift from non-democratic to democratic political system.

Democratisation

Process of adopting a democratic system.

Dependent Variable

Variable tested and measured in a study.

Developmental state

Government deeply involved in economic development.

Dictatorship of the Proletariat

Working class control of political power.

Diversity (strategies for dealing with)

Approaches to understanding and valuing differences.

Dominant party (system)

Political system with one party dominating to maintain power.

Dual transition

Simultaneous shift to democratic and market economy.

Duma

Russian federal assembly's lower house.

Dutch Disease

Resource revenue increase causing manufacturing decline.

Dynastic succession

Hereditary leadership transmission, common in monarchies.

Economic deregulation

Reducing government control in an industry for competition.

Economic hypothesis

Theory explaining economic processes and relationships.

Ethnic Republic(s)

Russian administrative division for ethnic autonomy.

Federation/Federalism/Federal State

Political system dividing power between central and local units.

Federal Subjects

Russian administrative divisions like republics and oblasts.

Federal System

Government system sharing power between central and local units.

Federation Council

Upper house representing Russian federal subjects.

Floating population

Temporary residents without permanent residence rights.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Investment in foreign business interests.

Freedom House

Watchdog organization promoting freedom and democracy.

Gangster capitalism

Wealth generation through illegal means in uncertain conditions.

General Secretary

Top official in a communist party.

Glasnost

Soviet policy for government transparency.

Globalisation

Expansion of businesses internationally

Great Famine

Devastating period in Soviet Union under Lenin

Great Leap Forward

Mao's campaign for rapid industrialization in China

Great Purge

Political repression in the Soviet Union

Guanxi

Chinese term for cooperative relationships network

Guerilla Warfare

Irregular warfare using military tactics

Han Chinese

Ethnic majority group in China

Harmonious Society

Stable social state concept by Hu Jintao

Hong Kong

Special Administrative Region of China

Household registration (hukou)

Official identification system in China

Household Responsibility System

Allowing profit from agricultural plots in China

Hybrid Regime

Mix of democratic and authoritarian elements

Hyperinflation

Extremely rapid inflation

Illiberal democracy

Limited civil liberties despite elections

Independent Variable

Variable manipulated by researcher in an experiment

Insider privatisation

Privatization by state-owned enterprise management

Institutional Strength (v. Weakness)

Capacity of a country's institutions to govern effectively

Iron rice bowl

Occupation with guaranteed job security

KGB

Primary security agency of the Soviet Union

Kulak

Wealthy peasant in Soviet Russia

Land grabs

Large-scale acquisitions of land

Leading small groups

Influential bodies in the Chinese Communist Party

Leninism

Political theory for revolutionary party organization

Loans for Shares

Controversial Russian scheme in the mid-1990s

Post-Tiananmen Deal

Agreement prioritizing economic growth over political freedoms after 1989 massacre.

Power Vertical

Centralization of power in the executive branch, associated with Putin.

Predatory State

Government focused on extracting resources for rulers' benefit.

Presidential-Parliamentary System

Government with president, parliament, and significant presidential power.

Proletariat

Wage-earners without significant production means, reliant on labor.

Privatization

Transfer of ownership from government to private entities.

Privatization Vouchers

Instruments distributing shares of state-owned enterprises to the public.

Property Rights

Legal rights to possess, use, and dispose of assets.

Proportional Representation

Electoral system allocating seats based on votes for parties.

"Putinism"

Political system with centralized power, suppression of dissent, nationalism.

Putin's Popularity

High approval ratings attributed to stability and economic growth.