Russia

we study it because…..

  • the history of communism and totalitarianism

  • transition to democracy from totalitarianism

  • transition from communism to capitilism

  • great example of illiberal democracy

  • current trend towards authoritarianism

true sovereignty is the one thing that Russians worry about because of how big it is, constant threats from the outside, need for security

  • 144.5 million people

  • largest country in the world (area)

  • largest European country (population)

Geography

  • very rural areas around the country

  • average person makes less than 7,500 per year

  • most people live in the western part of Russia

  • Russia used to have very weak borders

  • no way that a single country can occupy Russia

  • GPA per capita is very low- Russia has never had a good economic status

  • if Russia tried to attack any country- their access to the ocean would be closed off because of close allies with every NATO country

  • Russia has a strong political buffer between it and western European countries

  • oil and natural gas has given it the oppurtunity to overcome struggles in economy because many countries are dependent on Russia for it

  • US had tried to help other countries try to not be dependent on Russia by shipping oil and gas overseas

Legitimacy

  • Russia has a mindset that their country should be run by a strong individual mindset (explains why democracy did not latch on)

  • rule based on strong autocratic rule (first the tsars and then the communist party)

  • legitimacy faltered during the yetis years where there was some disorder in society

Russia before revolution

  • lots of peasants that were dirt poor, but then people that were rich beyond comprehension

  • huge divisions and economic inequalities

  • Russia is very behind its European neighbors

  • Europe is predominantly Christian, but Russia is orthodox Christian

Bolshevik revolution

  • Russia doing very bad in WWI

  • 1st country to base political system on Marxism

  • their communism was not like any other country- it was very unique

  • got rid of economic gaps (did not work)

  • land distruptution was a huge goal- thought it would cut wealth inequality- central governemnt would focus on security and the people would be able to function on their own

  • USSR was just another version of Tsar

  • US did not recognize the soviet union until they started to fight the Nazis

Stalinism

  • placed communist party at the center of control

  • allowed no other parties to compete

  • took land from peasants and created state run collective farms (state has greater control over agriculture over country… instituting more authoritarian control)

reign of putin

  • yeltsin’s was alchoholic and erratic behavior which led to his resignation

  • putin comes in and won the election

  • it is semi presidental and illebral democratic state

  • yeltin hand picks putin- came from no where

  • putin wins prime minister and makes the terms 6 years

  • he was eelcted again and their was a consititutional change approved allowing him to possibly stay as President until 2036

overview

  • semi presidental

  • federeal assembly

  • state duma

  • federation council

  • federeal (asymetric)

  • mixed electoral system of lower house

  • electoral system of upper house is appointed by local executive and legislature

  • constitutioal court is the chief justice body

political structure

  • aysmetircal federation: some providences recieve more or less power depending on where they are

  • 21 of these states are non russian and they want to break away, but putin doesnt like that so he puts more of the power towards the east so that these smaller areas cannot rule itself

  • putin cracks down on regional automony

  • putin breaks it into 7 federal district so that he can simplyfiy it and give the executive branch a huge amount of pwoer and control over them

  • governors are nominated by president, and confirmed by regional legislatures

semi-presidential system

  • president is the focus of power

  • single member district

  • first past the post

  • six year term

  • limit of two consecutive terms

presidental powers

  • appoints prime minister, cabinet, and governors

  • chair state council

  • issue decree that have force of law

  • dissolve the duma

  • call state of emergency/impose martial law

  • call referendums

  • suspend actions of other state organs

prime minister

  • head of government

  • appointed by president

  • no fixed term

  • supervises ministires not under prresidential control

  • proposes legislation to parliment that upholds president’s goals

  • promulgates the national budget

  • can be removed with 2 repeat votes of no confidence within three months

  • basically acts as a more powerful vice president

  • illibral state- looks like a democracy, but isnt

state council

  • advisory body to the Russian head of state

  • established by putin in 2000

  • putin now has ability to rule by decree

  • focuses on development of governemntal institutions, economic and social reforms and other objects affecting the public as a whole

security council

  • created in 1992

  • consultative body of the russian president that workds out the presidents decisions

bicameral legislature

  • weak check on executive power

  • duma- lower house (450 deputites and only 13% women), and selected by mixed elections

  • 5 year terms

  • powers include passing bills, approves budget, confirms president’s appointments

Limitations on Duma

  • Powers are limited

    • President may rule by decree

    • Duma's attempts to reject PMs have failed

    • Has power to impeach President, but very cumbersome process

  • Changes in Electoral system

    • 2007, changed from mixed system to PR

    • If a party does not keep hold of 7% threshold then party loses power - allows Putin's party to rise and smaller parties lose seats.

    • Once all the smaller parties has no power, 2016 - goes back to mixed system

  • Representatives are granted immunity from criminal prosecution

The Federation Council

  • Upper house

  • Represent region

  • 2 members from each federal subunits - 170 seats

  • 1 chosen by governor of each region and other by regional legislature (president appoints governor)

  • No formal political parties in FC, all independents

  • Delay legislation

  • Appoint and remove judges

Judical system

  • Constitutional court

    • 19 members, appointed by President, approved by FC

    • Judical review BUT court tries not to confront Presidency

    • Resolves conflict regarding constitutionally of federal/regional laws & jurisdictional disputes between institutions.

  • Supreme Court

    • Final court of appeals in criminal/civil cases

    • Does not have power of judicial review

    • No independent judiciary existed under the old Soviet Union

    • Putin moved constitutional court St. Petersburg - away from Moscow

  • Based on rule of law

  • Movement towards rule of law continues to be blocked by corruption

  • Bribes for auto permits, school enrollment, proper health care and favorable court rulings

  • At least 1/2 of population involved in corruption daily

State Duma as of 2016

  • 339 - United Russia (Putin's party)

  • 40 - LDPR

  • 22 - A Just Russia

  • 1 - Rodina

  • 43 - Communist Party

Local government

  • Asymmetric federal system with more than 80 different regional bodies

  • Each body have own rights

Military

  • Central to civil society and political culture

Linkage Instittions

  • political parties

  • historically unstable

  • no stronge opposing political parties to dominating party

  • media: some is privaltely owned, but state controlled

  • ranks 140th out of 178

single party dominant system

  • party system in which one large party directs the political system, but small parties exist and may compete in elections

  • parties have to include regional representatives on list

  • parties must have affiliates in more than half of regions

United Russia

  • merger of fatherland all-russia and unity party of russia

  • hard to define ideoligy- pro putin

  • putin chair (not a member until recently)

  • merger of several parties

  • centrist, conservative, pragmatic

  • opposed to radicalism

  • state direction of economy

  • catchall/umbrella party

liberal democratic party of russia

  • misnomer (sounds great but is the exact opposite of what it sounds like

  • closest thing to facism party

civil society

  • methods are: tax codes, process of registering with authorities, police harrasmnet/arrest, restrictions on NGO’s, registration of “foreign agents”

Nationality and Ethnic groups

  • biggest cleavage is nationality

  • because of structure of federation, ethnicity tends to be a coinciding cleavage with region and often religion too

terrorism

  • some anti-semitic and anti-muslim feelings with rise of an exclusioary form of nationalism

  • crackdown on radical islamists

  • police arrested 300 muslims in moscow in preperation for 2014 winter olympics, and they were found with extremist literature and considered a threat

class

  • tsarist russia nobility vs peasantry

political culture

  • usually directed towards one strong individual

  • if putin can show disorder or chaos, russians can give up personal freedoms is they maintain security

  • slavophile vs westerner

political protests

  • must be under 100 people and registered with the government

  • russians are not anti putin, so things againsts putin are looked down upon

Youth organization

  • putin created nashi

  • made to install ideas to like putin in their minds

  • sounds like hitlers youth thing

  • it was dissolved in 2015, to diffuese kids from protesting

economy

  • russia is a rentier state ( a country that recieves lucrative income by selling, exporting, or leasing out a natural resource to foreign countries.

  • disavantages: lack of economic diversification, price fluctuations, moe likely to have extreme income inequality, increased opportuinity for corruption by state of regional actors, lack of accountiablity to citizens (dont need their consent to levy taxes)

In Russia, social cleavages primarily revolve around nationality and ethnicity. The biggest cleavage is nationality, with various ethnic groups often aligning with specific regions and religions due to the structure of the federation. Additionally, there are historical tensions such as anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiments fueled by a rise in exclusionary nationalism. Class distinctions persist as well, with divisions between the old nobility and the peasantry remaining integral to the socio-political landscape.