Political Science Flashcards

Germany Basic Law

  • What: A written document outlining the basic principles and framework of the democratic institution.
  • It is not a constitution but covers the fundamentals.
  • Why:
    • German reunification was messy, preventing all regions from drafting an official constitution.
    • Basic law was the fastest way to begin democracy without having everything "ironed out."

Bundestag

  • What: Lower house, elected to 4-year terms.
    • Half elected by FPTP (First Past the Post).
    • Half elected by Proportional Representation (5% threshold).
    • Votes are cast via secret ballot.
    • Amend legislation
  • Why: Plays a crucial role in the country’s legislative process and governance.

Bundesrat

  • What: Strong upper house, elected by the Lander (regional legislatures).
    • Must consent to legislation if it directly affects the state (regional districts).
    • Mediation committee between houses amends bill to pass.
  • Why: Protects federalism and the division of power in the legislature.

Chancellor

  • What: Head of government (prime minister) appointed by the legislature.
    • Comes directly from the Bundestag.
    • Proposes legislation.
    • Subject to a constructive vote of no confidence.
  • Why: Vital to Germany’s governance, wielding influence over national policies and representing the country’s interests domestically and internationally.

Constructive Vote of No Confidence

  • What: The Chancellor cannot be ousted by a vote of no confidence until the opposition can form a new coalition to replace the previous government.
  • Why:
    • Promotes government stability by preventing extreme parties from ousting the Chancellor.
    • Prevents the Chancellor from becoming too powerful.

Codetermination

  • What: Law requiring Union members to hold half the seats on the board of directors in all companies with 2,000 or more employees.
  • Why: Battles held behind closed doors instead of through politics for better relations between unions and corporations.

Russia “What is to be done”

  • What: Article written by Vladimir Lenin.
    • Argues that workers are only capable of "trade union consciousness."
    • The party must guide the people.
  • Why: This divides the Russian Social Democratic Party into two factions: the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks.

Vladimir Lenin

  • What: Leader of the Bolsheviks (Soviets, communist party) and became dictator after the Dual Provisional Power Government.
  • Why: A pivotal figure in the 20th century, known for his role in shaping the Russian Revolution and establishing the Soviet Union. Initiated War Communism and NEP.

Bolsheviks

  • What: Worker/peasant alliance led by Lenin to overthrow the Tsar.
  • Why: Played a role in shaping the history of Russia and the modern world.
    • Led the October Revolution.
    • Formation of the Soviet Union.
    • Implementation of Marxist ideas.
    • Civil war and the Red Terror.
    • Economic reforms.
    • Influence on global politics.

Alexei Romanov

  • What: The male heir of Nicholas II, born with hemophilia.
  • Why: He would succeed the throne as the next Tsar after Nicholas II.

Rasputin

  • What: Peasant witch doctor who saved Alexei Romanov’s life, becoming a major influence and advisor to Tsar Nicholas II (even in WWI).
  • Why: Authoritarian and Totalitarian leaders put the dumbest and most loyal followers into positions of authority to protect the concentration of power.

Tsar Nicholas II

  • What: Absolute Ruler of a backward country.
    • Lost a war with Japan.
    • Kept Russia in the 18th century during the 20th century, with most people living in the countryside as peasants.
  • Why: His awful absolute dictatorship, with dumb advisors and little progress, caused the starving Russian people to revolt and eventually overthrow the Tsar.

February Revolution

  • What: Spontaneous revolution breaks out in St. Petersburg.
    • The military cannot put it down (busy in WWI).
    • Tsar Nicholas II removed and replaced by Dual Power Provisional Government and Soviets.

October Revolution

  • What: Coup that removes Kerensky, with Bolsheviks taking power (led by Trotsky).

New Economic Policy (NEP) (1921-1928)

  • What: Bolsheviks attempt to curve the negative effects of war communism by:
    • No food requisitions or farm collectivization.
    • More privatization.
    • Opening to some foreign investment.
    • Abolition of labor armies.
    • Wage gradations appear.
    • Implemented after war communism’s unpopularity, seeking to regain peasant support.
  • Why: This policy proved that communism was a failure and that elements of capitalism had to be introduced to help stabilize the economy and promote growth.

Leon Trotsky

  • What: Former commander of the Red Army, Leader of the Bolsheviks under Lenin, advocated for permanent revolution (overthrowing democratic regimes elsewhere), killed by a Stalin agent.
  • Why: N/A

Joseph Stalin

  • What: Began as the General Secretary of the Bolshevik party, consolidated power to become a totalitarian dictator, developed a “cult of personality,” used terror to control the country.
    • Through Stalinism, the state controlled EVERY aspect of life by using fear and horrible purges.

Cult of Personality

  • What: The idea of the leader (including Stalin and Putin) being “god-like" and above the rule of law.
    • Through the rule of man, the leader is perfect and infallible.
  • Why: This shows the terrible extent to which the subjective political culture has led the Russian people to look to leaders as god-like because of their oppressive terror.

Nikita Khrushchev (1958-1964)

  • What: Leader of reform communism.
    • Tried to reverse Stalinism and promoted collective leadership.
    • Rehabilitated political enemies.
    • Eased travel restrictions.
    • Started the Sputnik space program.
    • Made bad decisions in foreign policies and had an infallibility complex.

Secret Speech

  • What: Leaked to the West, Khrushchev calls for the process of de-Stalinization.
    • Promotes Lennin changes and history and steers away from the Stalin era.
    • Emphasized collective leadership vs. Totalitarianism.
  • Why: Through this, the government showed fault in the terror under Stalin Totalitarianism, further fracturing the frail communism and Soviet Union.

Mikhail Gorbachev

  • What: Young reformer leader who issued perestroika and glasnost, which led to a resurgence of nationalism in Eastern Europe, causing the Soviet Union to fall (Nov. 1991).

Perestroika

  • What: TOTAL restructuring of the Soviet Economy from command to market-based.
  • Why: This showed that the free market and the law of supply and demand make a more productive and stable economy than one fully controlled by a communist government.

Glasnost

  • What: The “Opening Up” of the Soviet society (transparency), with people being allowed to speak freely.
  • Why: This led (more so than Perestroika) to the destruction of the Soviet Union because the communist government had to admit that it was wrong and take the blame for all the terror caused under Stalin.

Boris Yeltsin

  • What: First President of Russia, caused hyperinflation, made a famous tank speech.

Oligarchs

  • What: Created by Privatization efforts from Shock therapy.
    • Businessmen traded worthless rubles for valuable state vouchers, allowing them to acquire vast amounts of property for a fraction of the cost.
    • Now they control most of the economy in the state and work closely with the Kremlin to create policies in their favor and vice versa.

Shock Therapy

  • What: Fast track from Socialism to Capitalism (failed) by:
    • Restricting the money supply.
    • Eliminating price controls.
    • Promoting more privatization.
    • However, it caused hyper-inflation and the creation of the Oligarchs.
    • Started by PM Yegor Gadiar.
  • Why: Although the intent was honorable, this policy created clear winners and losers, hurting most of the population even more and creating Oligarchs that would have great influence in government and the economy in the Russian State.

The Tandem

  • What: Putin and Medvedev in power of the Executive branch for the last 25 years by interchanging roles of President and Prime Minister between fixed terms.
  • Why: This shows that the roles and fixed terms listed in the constitution are theoretical at best and that leaders are not subject to rule of law; the democratic institutions on paper are nothing but a veil to hide an authoritarian regime.

State Duma

  • What: The lower house of the legislature, powerless against the Kremlin; Created after the 1905 Revolution.
  • Why:
    • The State Duma plays a significant role by having legislative authority, which means drafting and passing laws that shape national policy.
    • Representation because it provides a platform for various parties to represent Russian citizens.
    • Currently, the State Duma has become almost powerless (in a democratic sense) because it has been controlled by United Russia (aka. Putin and his followers), with most opposition parties following the Kremlin as well.

United Russia

  • What: Largest Political Party in Russia, Putin’s Party.
    • Aimed to provide Putin with support in the Duma.
    • The one party that controls the state.
    • No platform, just a body of false “power” in the legislature to support the Kremlin.
    • Boasts a cult of personality around Putin.
  • Why: It’s crucial because it serves as a puppet party in government to give the look of a democracy without any real authority and solidifies Putin’s political influence within the Duma.

Whataboutism

  • What: The Kremlin completely takes off its persona of democracy and strives to destroy liberal democracy by casting doubt into people’s minds through information confrontation, hacking, and other tactics.
    • Instead of addressing the question, Kremlin leaders say, “What about this…”, ignoring the question while confusing the listener with lies.
  • Why: This shows that the Kremlin is not afraid to show just what the Russian state is, an Authoritarian Regime thru and thru with the desire to corrupt liberal democracies by any confusing tactics necessary.

Alexei Navalny

  • What: Opposing leader in 2020 Election, Putin has him poisoned and imprisoned. Navalny dies in a Siberian Prison from “sudden death syndrome” (obviously he was killed).
  • Why: This shows that there are no free, fair, and competitive elections in Russia. Elections are rigged, Puppet opposition parties are created, real opponents are killed off. This confirms that the possibility of Russia ever becoming a democracy has been lost.

Russkiy Mir

  • What: Idea of Russian World Peace (like Peace of Rome); Promotes strong Russian Nationalism through three elements: Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Language, Unity with other Soviet Republics.
  • Why: N/A

Yevgeny Prigozhin

  • What: Leader of Wagner Group, climbed the ranks to a powerful position by kissing Putin’s ring, Led the strongest rebellion towards Moscow since WW II.
  • Why: N/A

Wagner Group

  • What: Private “organization” under the direct command of the Kremlin, causes proxy wars and such to topple or reverse weak liberal democracies (especially in North Africa). Charged in an Armed Rebellion in 2023 against Putin that was very strong but failed.
  • Why: By dividing power between Defense and the Wagner Group, Putin can maintain control should anyone betray him as in the 2023 revolt.

Information Confrontation

  • What: Composed of information technical and information psychological, this is how Russian spies use social media and other outlets to hack and steal information, which is then used to create influential propaganda to corrupt the people.
  • Why: Through this, the Kremlin has been able to corrupt elections and democratic institutions close and far, making Russia the worst threat to democracy across the world.