AP Comp Gov: Russia

A Just Russia

• A small party in the Russia Duma with a social democratic organization founded in 2006

• Loyal to the Kremlin, often supporting Vladimir Putin while occasionally criticizing specific policies

• Center-left party that promotes a “New Socialism of the 21st Century”

Asymmetric Federalism

• A system where power is devolved unevenly across the country, with some regions (often ethnic republics) having greater autonomy than others, despite having the same constitutional status

Caucasus

• A mountainous region between the Black and Caspian Seas, spanning southern Russia.

• Known for its high ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity, including many predominantly Muslim republics within the Russian Federation

Chechnya

• A Republic in the North Caucasus that has historically sought independence, leading to two brutal, violent wars in the 1990s and early 2000s

• Under Ramzan Kadyrov, it currently exists as a highly autonomous, authoritarian region loyal to Putin

Cheka

• The first Soviet secret police organization, created by Lenin in 1917, which served as the predecessor to the KGB and later the FSB

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

• A loose regional organization formed in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union to coordinate trade, security, and foreign policy among 10 former Soviet republics

Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF)

• The successor to the Soviet-era Communist Party, it is the second-largest party in Russia

• Represents a “systemic opposition” that combines Marxism-Leinism with nationalist views and nostalgia for the Soviet Union

Constitutional Court

• The highest court for constitutional law in Russia, empowered with judicial review

• While intended to be independent, in practice, it usually upholds the power of the president and federal law

Duma (State Duma)

• The lower house of the Russia Federal Assembly (Parliament), consisting of 450 members

• It passes legislation, but is heavily dominated by the “party of power” aka United Russia

Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)

• A political and economic union established by Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan to encourage economic integration and create a counterweight to the European Union

Federal Security Service (FSB)

• The main security agency and successor to the KGB in the Russian Federation, responsible for internal security, counter-intelligence, and surveillance

Federation Council

• The upper house of the Russian Federal Assembly, which represents the 80+ regional governments

• It has little independent power and acts as a rubber stamp for the executive

Glasnost

• “Openness” a policy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980s that allowed for freedom of speech, press, and discussion of social/political issues in the Soviet Union

Insider Privatization

• The process during the 1990s in which former Soviet managers and government officials (the nomenclature) acquired large, state-owned industries at extremely low prices, forming the base of the oligarch class

KGB

• The main security agency for the Soviet Union (1954-1991) responsible for espionage, secret police activities, and maintaining domestic obedience

Mikhail Khodorkovsky

• A prominent Russian oligarch and CEO of Yukos oil who was arrested in 2003 after challenging Vladimir Putin’s authority, symbolizing the crackdown on independent business leaders

Kremlin

• The historic fortified complex in Moscow that serves as the seat of Russian political power, often used as a metonym for the Russian presidential administration.

Vladimir Lenin

• Leader of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, founder of the Soviet Union, and architect of democratic centralism.

Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR)

• A nationalist, far-right party in the Duma known for extreme rhetoric. Despite the name, it is not liberal or democratic; it is a "systemic opposition" party that often supports the Kremlin.

Dmitry Medvedev

• A close ally of Putin who served as President (2008–2012) while Putin was Prime Minister, and then as Prime Minister (2012–2020).

Mikhail Mishustin

• Appointed Prime Minister of Russia by Putin in 2020, formerly head of the Federal Tax Service.

Alexei Navalny

• A prominent anti-corruption activist and opposition leader who was repeatedly jailed and survived a poisoning attempt before dying in prison, symbolizing the intense crackdown on non-systemic opposition.

Nomenklatura

• In the Soviet Union, a system of appointing trusted party members to key administrative and bureaucratic positions in government and industry.

Oligarchs

• A small group of wealthy individuals who gained immense economic and political power by taking control of state-owned industries (oil, media, banks) during the privatization of the 1990s.

Orthodox Christianity

• The dominant religion in Russia, which has historically supported a strong state, and in modern times, has aligned closely with the government to promote national identity.

Parties of Power

• Political parties that are created by the elite/government to win elections and secure a majority in the legislature, lack a consistent ideology (e.g., United Russia).

Perestroika

• "Restructuring" Gorbachev’s 1980s policy of economic reform designed to shift the command economy toward a market-based system

Politburo

• The top policy-making committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Vladimir Putin

• President of Russia (1999–2008, 2012–present) and Prime Minister (2008–2012). He has consolidated power, created a "power vertical," and shifted Russia toward an authoritarian regime.

Rus

• The medieval predecessor state to Russia, centered in Kiev, which adopted Orthodox Christianity

Shock Therapy

• The rapid, immediate shift from a command economy to a market economy implemented by Boris Yeltsin in the early 1990s, involving lifting price controls and privatizing state industries.

Soviets

• Local worker councils that were the nominal basis of government in the USSR, which were eventually controlled entirely by the Communist Party.

Joseph Stalin

• Totalitarian leader of the Soviet Union (1920s–1953), known for rapid industrialization, brutal purges, and the collectivization of agriculture.

Tsar

• The title for the absolute monarch who ruled Russia until the 1917 revolution.

United Russia

• The dominant political party (party of power) founded in 2001 that holds a supermajority in the Duma and supports the policies of Vladimir Putin.

Yabloko

• A small, pro-Western liberal opposition party that rarely gains enough votes to cross the threshold for representation in the Duma.

Boris Yeltsin

• The first president of the Russian Federation (1991–1999), who oversaw the collapse of the USSR, the introduction of capitalism (shock therapy), and the 1993 Constitution.