STUDENT NOTES 3 CH. 4 THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

III. CITIZENS, SOCIETY AND STATE: POLITICAL CULTURE Product of autocratic rule, uneven improvements in education and living standards, and rising Western exposure LEADS TO – contradictory culture Citizens WANT a STRONG state BUT distrust ALL state institutions 66% said yay democracy BUT 45% a “special Russian democracy” WTF?!?!

III. CITIZENS, SOCIETY AND STATE: POLITICAL CULTURE Deference to authority – Tradition of personalistic authority – Highly centralized leadership Statism and Collectivist tendencies – Expect the state to take an active role in their lives – Collectivism/egalitarianism – distrust those who get ahead Desire for order/stability b/c ORDER IS FRAGILE – Even at expense of personal freedom Mistrust of Government – Most of population historically alienated from political system – Subjects rather than participants

III. CITIZENS, SOCIETY AND STATE: POLITICAL CULTURE Geographic setting Slavophile (“lover of slavs”) vs. westernizer Equality of result NOT opportunity – Marxism – demise of capitalist west Pride in religion (Eastern Orthodox), language, customs, history Isolationism Most people think government is ABOVE the law Young, urban, well-educated push for liberal values

III. CITIZENS, SOCIETY, AND STATE: POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION Russian Orthodox Church Media controlled by state Internet campaigns – Pro Putin Nashi – youth movement Textbook content schools

III. CITIZENS, SOCIETY, AND STATE: POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION

New history textbooks and manuals for teachers laud Joseph Stalin, gloss over the murderous legacy of Soviet communism, and represent the Putin era as a restoration of greatness that is imperiled by the evil designs of Russia’s enemies. Youth movements, funded directly or indirectly by the Kremlin, act as capillaries to bring new blood into the elite

III. CITIZENS, SOCIETY, AND STATE: POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION Mainstream mass media, from nationwide television stations to major newspapers, are now either under direct state control or owned by Kremlin-friendly business magnates

THE PRICE OF DISSENT Anna Politkovskaya BORIS NEMTSOV

III. CITIZENS, SOCIETY, AND STATE CIVIL SOCIETY CIVIL SOCIETY – historically weak Activities of IG, NGO’s, organizations must be registered, approved, monitored in essence controlled by the state High level of statism – expectation of the government to play an active role (control)

III. CITIZENS, SOCIETY AND STATE: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION DID vote under USSR – 100%...but no competition So now Russians prize their right NOT TO participate…they’re doomed 83% say they DON’T have influence over policy decisions Participation in civic life builds social capital = trust and cooperation b/t gov and citizens: Russia VERY MUCH lacks this Direct (voting, canvassing, volunteering) and indirect (joining civic groups/associations) participation low

III. CITIZENS, SOCIETY AND STATE: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION “Floating” parties – – 1995 – 45 parties – 1999 – 26 parties – Revolve around LEADER or ISSUE – Weak party loyalty – Dominant party/party in power – Dominant party/party in power—a political party that manages to maintain consistent control of a political system through formal and informal mechanisms of power, with or without strong support from the population

Political Parties: United Russia Centrist Organized by oligarch Boris Berezovsky “Party in power” Merger between “Fatherland All-Russia” Party and the “United Party of Russia” – Put together to support Putin in the election of 2000 PLATFORM: Pro-Putin Centrist Strong Russia – central over regional Chechnya Combine free market w/ regulation Protect social welfare AND private property Anti-communist, anti-Americanism Western style foreign policy

Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) Party leader Gennady Zyuganov Emphasizes central planning and nationalism, state ownership Regain territories lost after Soviet Union dissolution Most organized of the parties Party base = older

Democratic Parties Favor LIBERAL DEMOCRACY Yabloko – pro-democracy – Name is acronym for its three founders, also means “apple ” A Just Russia Socialist, equality and fairness Union of Right Forces – Development of free market – Privatization of industry

Nationalist Party Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) “Neither liberal, nor democratic. It’s like Canadian Bacon, it’s just ham.” - Berger Headed by Vladimir Zhirinovsky – Extreme nationalist (injured ethnic and state pride) – Anti-Semitic – Attacks reformist leaders and disliked Yeltsin – Said he would use nuclear weapons on Japan if he were elected

2011 DUMA elections

III. CITIZENS, SOCIETY, AND STATE ELECTIONS 3 types – Referendum Pres calls national referenda Popular vote for national issue – Duma Elections Every 5 years Proportional representation (7%) 2 round majority system – Presidential Elections Ummm…whatever Putin want 2 round majority system

Russian Discontent Backlash against 2012 Putin “re-election” Fraud, ballot rigging, police brutality, corruption Medvedev puppet/stooge No freedom of press Putin can remove governors at will and not he appoints them

A RESURGENT RUSSIAN AUTHORITARIANISM Russia “will decide for itself the pace, terms, and conditions of moving towards democracy” no challenges from an independent business community, the judiciary, an empowered electorate, or free media

A RESURGENT RUSSIAN AUTHORITARIANISM Tricks—legal devices prevent the formation of new political parties, state-controlled media relentlessly promote favored candidates and denigrate their opponents, election commissions ignore gross violations and punish minor ones, and duplicate candidates confuse voters

PUTIN’S RUSSIA Appoints regional governors Higher parliamentary threshold (7%) to eliminate smaller regional parties Federation Council selected by president not legislature Control of media: TV and radio While PM had undiminished powers Harder to register as political party/interest group

CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS: RIGHTS & LIBERTIES

"Punk Prayer - Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!"