Pol 113 Exam two

Revolution

1. Mass based popular protest or uprising, 2. that suddenly or shockingly causes the structures of the state to collapse, 3. after, a new system is implemented that changes the nature of the politics, society, and often economy

Coup

-a seizure of power by some insiders who seek to maintain the existing systems while becoming their prime beneficiaries. 

1. an individual or a small group seizes control of the state by deposing the top leader or leadership.

2.coup leaders have inside power/connections & help (e.g., the military or a portion of it, the political police or a faction of it, or a political party) & might have outside (external to the state) help 

3.After the coup, the political, social, and economic systems remain the same

Communism

1. A political system in which the communist party is the most important institution, (not a player on the field, it IS the field and its rules define how the game is played.)

2. An economy with NO private ownership of productive assets. (b/c Marxists see owners as exploiters); PLANNED ECONOMY. 

3. A society in which eliminating class, economic, and other social differentiations (gender, national/ethnic, geographic) is the stated revolutionary project. 

4. A political police that regularly uses violence against the population in order to maintain the party's power for political purposes. There is no law distinct from the Party's priorities and absolutely no individual rights independent of the Party's interpretations. 

• The fundamental institution in communist system: THE PARTY, THE (COMMUNIST) PARTY

• Party supremacy and UNITY, no disagreement, no factions

Reciprocal Accountability

Bottom is accountable to the top. In a place with no protection of rights and no rule of law → makes true elite accountability usually MEANINGLESS!

Post Soviet Syndrome

1. Political and economic power concentrated in the hands of a very few (tendency towards personalism) 

2. Personal ties, not competence, expertise, or charisma, determine who serves/succeeds 

3. Market economy, but with state intervention in “most important” industries. Politically powerful have financial stakes in the leading industries.

4. No rule of law - corruption and political violence affect economy and politics  

(doesn't include Baltics…. Georgia and Armenia have tried to break out

Gorbachev (1985-91)

Begins reforms to try to “save” the system but…. ends up destroying it – NOT HIS INTENTION – Reform program called “Perestroika,” but affected

a. politics   b. society/arts   c. economy  d. foreign affairs

PERESTROIKA–  Gorb’s reforms made things worse, a.) opened discussions of past repressions, b.)economic problems made life MORE difficult for most, much better for some, c.) nationalist anger – repressed nationalities reacting to injustices – Russians believing they have been exploited too?!

END OF USSR

1. August 1991 – Reality of only some republics want to stay in the USSR and center (ie Gorb) very weak → New Union Treaty to sign

2. Traditionalists (w/in party & security services) want to stop – attempted coup

3. Brings opponents into the streets – Led by Russian leader Boris Yeltsin

4. After 3 days, some bloodshed, coup collapses

5. NO RETURNING TO OLD WAYS! – USSR “DEAD” by year  END

Yeltsin (1991-99)

as elected leader of Russia, takes over as legitimate leader

1. also an elected parliament

What to do???? Yes (?) democracy & capitalism? &...?

1. Elections/parties

2. Shock therapy, ownership, markets (inflation!)

3. cultural openings/ critical press & critical voices/ ability to travel if $$

4. foreign policy? What is the “nation” now?

What goes wrong? No political consensus, communist legacy and belief that elites know best, corruptions violence crime, shock without therapy that leads to significant decline in people's living standards

Putin

1999-200s CONSOLIDATES

1. Uses (Chechen) war and fear of terrorism - a. appeals to pride & nationalist anger/embarrassment

2. Slowly begins to, - eliminate political rights & freedoms, - ramps up violence against regime opponents & organized crime (not affiliated), - reigns in independent voices, - more violence

3. By 2004 elections (new system, no independent voices), pretense to democracy is gone

Confucianism

• Hierarchy but those on top have responsibilities to those on the bottom. & those on the bottom have the right/responsibility to remove poor rulers

  • STRONG tradition of gender inequality

• potential for self-improvement, with hard work, study (imperial bureaucracy/ similar today)

Xi Jinping & others are convinced that their Confucian culture is superior to a Western one.

Deng (1978-1997) Economic Reform and Development

• Very end of 1978 announced: Deng Begins ECONOMIC Reforms

  • Include “end of Iron Rice Bowl,” One-Child Policy → important gendered/demographic implications

• Reforms create some changes, resentment, corruption – (Confucian influence?) 1989:Tiananmen Massacre

  • 1992 – Deng’s Authoritarian Bargain: YOU stay out of politics, the Party will make your lives better. Lesson – we will NOT be like the USSR

  • Deng institutes political reforms to limit the ability of a tyrant to centralize power (trying to prevent another Mao)

  • Deng Dies 1997

Xi, 2012-Present

• China Dream

• Belt & Road Initiative (global politics) & Building Nuclear Forces, Ground Troups, & Navy

• Party-State Capitalism (reining in corruption when it serves…)

• Return to Gender Traditionalism

Mao, Communist Project

• Trying to Enact MAO’s Revolutionary Principles – 1949-1966

  • 1958-1961: Great Leap Forward – their policy to end private ownership of land (like Soviet collectivization) and create state/collectively owned industry to industrialize (the communist economic project)

  • Gender Project – no more footbinding, women/girls working outside the home, “war” on traditional family

• TERROR: 1966-1976: Cultural Revolution – Terror enacted on “enemies” who are not sufficiently ideological

  • Ends with Mao’s death; then comes  internal party struggle for control – DENG BECOMES LEADER