1. Age of Democratization
Boris Yeltsin-1st president declares end of old Soviet-style regime, implements “shock therapy”
Glasnost (This is actually Gorbachev)-opening up of political system
Perestroika-rapid privatization of state owned business (free-market, capitalism)
Often drunk or sick, family and advisors took over, ran country as oligarchs
Constitution 1993
Initially, free elections
Oligarchs encouraged
Putin to run, elected in
2000
Age of Democratization
global politics defined by intense competition between US and USSR
1991-Collapse of USSR, Russian Federation was what was left after various republics broke off

2. Putin Liberal Democracy Civil liberties and rights
Competitive political parties
Rule of law
Independent judiciary
1993 constitution stated president can only serve 2 terms, in 2008 stepped down and was prime minister to President, Dmitri Medvedev . Constitution amended -- Changed (2008) term of office to 6 yrs, Putin elected
Reverse of democratization. Increasingly authoritarian.

3. Sovereignty, authority and power
Legitimacy of Democracy low
Putin reestablish some old authoritarian rule and Russia’s traditional political culture
Tsars-authoritarian
Marx-Leninism- Democratic Centralism (rule by a few)
Stalin-Totalitarian
1993 Constitution-establish a strong president, checked by Duma and elections (Putin wont let that stop him..)
Sovereignty, authority and power
Most of the 20th century authority and power came from the politburo of the commie party. Nomenklatura (ordered path from local party soviets to commanding heights of leadership). Collapse of USSR, left power vacuum. Political culture and historical traditions of Russia are entrenched and shape the new regime.

4. Historical Influences on Political Traditions
Absolute, centralized rule- Tsars held absolute pwr enforced with brutality. Russian plains overran by Huns, Vikings, and Mongols. Chaos convinced Russian leaders that strong leadership kept people in control. Commies continued this. Putin seems to be headed that way
Extensive Cultural heterogeneity-cultural diversity from invasions and territorial expansions
Slavophile v. Westernizer-
pride in Slavic customs, language, religion, and history. They value isolationism
Westernize means to modernize using western model. Peter/Catherine (the great. St. Petersburg “Window on the West”)

5. Geographic setting-largest country in the world
Geographic setting-largest country in the world. Many ethnicities and climates. Cold climate, much of its history had been shaped by desire to get warm water ports. Rich in natural resources: oil, gas, timber.
Eastern Orthodoxy- Influences from Constantinople so missed periods of Western History (R, R, SR, E). Valued a strong state that could protect from invasions.
West developed a desire for civil society (spheres of privacy outside govt. control)
Russian statism
Russian Orthodox Church tied to state
Political Culture
In Russia it is shaped by= Geographic setting, cultural orientation, and conflicting attitudes towards state.

6. Russians have little confidence in political, business, media leaders
Political culture cont.
Equality of outcome/result-Commie instilled in the Russian people the value of equality ($), value already strong in a country of peasants. (Western-Getting ahead via hard work-capitalism -doesn’t resonate.)
Skepticism about power-Gorbachev (last commie leader) allowed freedom of speech and press (glasnost). So many complaints, helps bring about collapse of USSR
Russians have little confidence in political, business, media leaders
The importance of nationality-tend to categorize people based on nationality (people from Baltic area are civil, Muslim-Turkic people uncivilized, Jew’s are responsible for Russia's problems

7. Russia’s Conflictual Political Culture
Slavic influence-customs, language, religion, and history that encourage Russia to resist outside contact
Conflicted political culture; western reform, technology, and customs were imposed on the tsarist absolute state.
Western reform initiated by Peter the Great in the late 17th century; attempt to increase Russian power and influence

8. Political and Economic Change
Britain-ordered and gradual change
Russia-resistance to change, descends to chaos or revolution
Strong Tsars, i.e. Peter t Gr, Catherine t Gr-used force to keep pwr
Tsars who tried reform failed- Alexander II (free serfs, is assassinated, grandson Nick II removed shot, country becomes commie)
Stalin- iron fist strong -USSR becomes super power
Gorbachev allows reforms, USSR collapses
Russian History 3-time periods
A long period of autocratic rule by tsars 14th-20th century
20th Cen. Rule by Commies
An abrupt regime change to procedural democracy and a free market in 1991…
Putin

9. Tsarist Rule
13th (or 14th)-early 20th: autocratic
Western influence- late 17 and early 18th Peter the Great introduces western tech and culture. Catherine the Great ruled late 18th century gets warm water port. Reads Enlightenment books. Both looked to the West, but neither abandoned absolute rule..
19th – Direct contact with West when Napoleon invaded. Western thought influenced Russian intellectuals who saw no room for western political institutions as long as tsars ruled.

10. Russian Revolution 1917
Lenin- Democratic Centralism with a vanguard (leadership group) that would lead the rev because the people couldn’t organize themselves. NEP (new economic policy) allows a lot of private ownership to exist under a centralized leadership
Stalin-totalitarian control. Purges to get rid of possible dissent
5 yr plans, goals are: rapid industrialization and collectivization of agriculture
Reform under Khrushchev- denounced excesses of Stalin-- deStalinization

11. Citizens Society and the State
Russian Citizens- like idea of a democracy but like idea of a strong state and powerful political leaders
Cleavages
Nationality-80%Russian , others: Tatars, Ukrainians, Armenians, etc. These cleavages determine the organization of the country into a federation with autonomous regions whose borders are based on ethnicity. Chechnya, primarily Muslim has fought for years for freedom. Area around Caucasus restless, 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia amped tensions
Religion-Most ethnic Russians are Russian Orthodox (but most are nonreligious), small minorities of Jews, Catholics, Protestants.
Moscow-Muslims form a large share of laborers who have immigrated to find work there
The Caucasus (area btwn Black Sea and Caspian)-hot spot of trouble, many ethnicities Muslim majority
Bashkortostan and Tatarstan-Muslim but not as troublesome, more open to idea of Russia as a county supportive of Islam
social class-communism promoted egalitarian views, but new socio-economic class is developing
rural/urban-urban class generally have more $ and education and in touch with western culture

12. Beliefs and Attitudes
A. USSR- Marxist doctrine, at heart predicted the demise of the capitalist West. This fed into Russian nationalism, under Stalin old tendencies toward absolutism and repression returned. Collapse of USSR brought out hostility toward the govt; hostility still present. B.
Mistrust of Govt-alienation from the political system. Polls show people support democratic ideals but don’t trust govt to make these ideals reality
Statism-despite mistrusting govt, most still want state to take and active role in their lives
Westernization-political opinion still follows divide Slovophile vs. Westernizer

13. Political Participation
USSR-voting rate 100%, big trouble if you didn’t vote. Hand picked candidates.
Higher voter turnout than US, but not as high as Britain and France (2008 presidential election 75%)
Civil Society(private organizations and/or associations outside of politics)-other than voting participation in other political activities is low.
Don’t attend church
Limited participation in clubs: sports, books, charitable, etc.
Growing interest groups, but under tight govt control
Govt sponsored youth groups-build a following of patriotic , loyal young people to diffuse youth resistance

14. Russia: Political Institutions
Executive powers
Appoint prime minister and cabinet
Issue decrees
Veto acts passed by the legislature
Dissolve the legislature and call for new elections
Control most ministries
Old Soviet system of loyalty and patronage still in operation
Three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial
Executive branch controls security forces, foreign affairs, defense, and the economy

15. Legislative branch composed of Federal Council and State Duma
Russia: Political Institutions (continued)
Legislative branch composed of Federal Council and State Duma
Communist Party and United Russia Party only major national parties
Emerging judiciary system finally adopting principles of “innocent until proven guilty” and constitutional precedent
Local leaders, as members of the Federal Assembly, tend to bend national policy toward local desires and needs.
In 2000, the president consolidated control of local leaders through district governors
Except for the Communist Party, most parties don’t have strong ideology to drive policy
Oligarchs control much of the economy and the political power behind it; government efforts to curb their power has been controversial