Chapter 7 Review

Russia:

• Asymmetrical Federalism: System where some regions have more formal powers + autonomy than others.

• Russia was taken over by Ivan the Terrible greatly increasing power and state territory.

• Tsar Nicholas II was forced to agree that the legislator had to be elected directly.

• Lenin took inspiration from Karl Marx and created the first communist regime.

• The communist party created a single-party dictatorship.

• The elite understood Marxism could represent the majority.

• Stalin came into power after Lenin.

• Stalin took over the government. He would make Russia more socialist and industrialize it.

• Under Khrushchev, Russia would ease up with communism.

• Gorbachev made economic reforms which was glasnost, it allowed more citizen critics of the state.

• Shock therapy is the immediate removal of all state intervention from an economy.

• Oligarchs are people whose ownership of large businesses translates into a significant amount of control of a country’s economy.

• Putin had created an electoral authoritarian regime but he described it as a managed democracy.

• Putin was the main security agent in the KGB from 1975-1994.

• Putin used anti-corruption laws and tax codes to eliminate Khodorkovsky.

• Asymmetrical Freedom- A system in which some regions have more formal power and autonomy than others.

7.2 - Institutions of Government 

Terms:  

• Duma: the directly elected lower house of the Russian parliament representing people + has the power to pass laws, confirm the prime minister, + begin impeachment proceedings against the president

• Federation Council: appointed upper house of Russian parliament representing regions + has the power to initiate, review, + amend legislation, approve troop deployments, + remove the president.
  

Topics:

• Russia has a semi-presidential system

• President: directly elected 

Powers: creating foreign policy, appointing prime minister, issuing …………..……decrees, commander in chief 

• Prime Minister: appointed by the president and confirmed by Duma, not a member of the legislature (bicameral), removed by the President

• Legislature: Duma (lower house) - directly elected, power to debate + pass laws Federation Council (upper house) - appointed by gov official + regional    ………………..legs, proves laws debated by Duma 

• Judiciary: trial, appellate, federal courts, Supreme Court, judicial review, abstract review, rule by law 

7.3 - Electoral Systems, Political Parties, and Civil Societies

Topics:  

• Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF): communist, allows free-market, 2nd largest party (19% of Duma), biggest opp to Just Russia

• Single Party Dominant: United Russia Party - catch-all, Centrist

• New People Party: 13 seats - newest part.

• A Just Russia Party: Socialist, Populist, pro-welfare, ideological opp: CPRF.

• Liberal Democratic Party: promoted white supremacy, not lib or cons, concerned with taking Alaska from the U.S., state regulation of the economy, less than 5% of Duma.    

• The constitution used to have 4 year term but changed to 6 in 2012.

• If no presidential candidate wins a majority in the first round, a second round is held between two candidates.

• Putin became Prime Minister in 2008 after the end of his two terms as president.

• Alexi Navalny who’s known for organizing nationwide anti-corruption campaigns was banned from running.

• The Duma had 450 seats, 5-year terms, there’s 225 Single Member District seats, and 225 proportional seats.

• United Russia offers incentives for independent candidates to join the majority in the Duma.

• It’s difficult for small parties to meet the 5 percent threshold to win Proportional Seats.

• It’s difficult for parties to register with the central election committee.

• Parties need 200,000 signatures and can’t get 7,000 signatures from one region.

7.4 - Political Culture and Participation

Topics:  

• Referendums increase legitimacy

• Naish (ours) - promote the president

• 2 Chenaya wars on ethnic and religion

• Civil society in Russia is weak. Yeltsin sent a 4 part referendum: Did citizens have confidence in the president, Did they support the policies set in place, Should early elections be held, and should there be early elections for parliament?

• Russian law supersedes international law.

• Nashi is government-supported and held mass rallies in support of Putin.

• Alexi Navalny was an outspoken critic of Putin’s administration, he was permitted to run in the 2016 mayoral elections, but not for the presidential elections in 2020, he was poisoned by the Federal Security Service.

• A lot of legislation in the lead-up to 2018 that restricted autonomy.

• Most Chechens are Muslim, they make up 1% of Russia’s population.

• In the first war, Chechens made an agreement to be part of Russia but had a lot of autonomy.

• The Russian army prevailed in Chechnya during the second war.

• Chechen revenues come from the national government.

7.5 - Economic and Social Change and Development 

Terms:  

• Rentier state: state relying on the export of oil or from the leasing of resources to foreign entities as a significant source of gov revenue

• Resource curse: problem faced by countries with valuable + abundant natural resources, limiting diversification of the economy, making gov revenue dependent on the world market, increasing opportunities for corruption, + lessening govs responsiveness to citizens.

• Putin blamed the West and the U.S. for failing to partner after the Cold War and trying to take advantage of it when it was economically weak.

• Putin is against globalization, he said the West created a political structure that benefits unelected officials.

• Rentier State- A state that relies on the export of oil or from the lessing of resources to foreign entities as a significant source of government revenue.

• Resource Curse- A problem faced by countries that have a valuable and abundant natural resource, which limits diversification of the economy, it makes the government revenue depend on the world market, increases opportunities for corruption, and lessens the government responsiveness to citizens.

• National healthcare is funded through payroll tax and contributions from local and regional governments.

• Two of the largest social programs are pension and universal health care.

• One-third of medical facilities lack running water, 52% lack hot water, and 40% don’t have central heat.

• In efforts to increase birth rates, Russia provided an incentive to couples who have more than one child.