1. Kelly Walker AP Comparative Government
Module 5 Review Russia
Kelly Walker
AP Comparative Government

2. Communism Based on the inequalities found in wealthy countries
Marxism:
Father of Communism: Karl Marx
1848 Communist Manifesto: Capitalism exploited workers and increased the gap between the wealthy and poor
Proletariat would overcome the bourgeoisie (revolution)
Eventually social class would disappear- no private property
Communism encourages equality and cooperation, and without private property to encourage greed, governments would not be necessary

3. Marxism-Leninsim Russia 1917
Lenin changed the nature of communism by asserting the “vanguard of the revolution”- a group revolutionary leaders who could provoke the revolution (communist party leaders) Transforms Marxism
Based on Democratic Centralism- Rule by a few for the good of the many

4. Marxism-Leninsim
All communist countries that followed based their system on the Soviet model
Co-optation: Allocation of power throughout various political, social, and economic institutions
Nomenklatura: Process which recruits elites to fill influential jobs approved by the communist party
By joining the communist party, one may achieve a certain amount of social mobility, or the ability for individuals to change their social status over time.

5. Maoism Led by leader Mao Zedong
Shared Marx’s vision of equality and cooperation
Differed from Leninism
Preserved China’s peasant-based society
1976- Deng Xiaoping instituted market-based socialism (infuses capitalism into the system)

6. Communist Political Economy
Communist ideology led to political economies characterized by central planning (ownership of private property and the market mechanism were replaced with the allocation of resources by the state bureaucracy
Logistical difficulties: No market economy based on supply and demand- more work to control a large economy
Lack of worker incentives

7. Terms Bourgeoisie Central Planning Communist Manifesto Co-Optation
Democratic Centralism
Maoism
Market-based socialism
Marxism
Marxism-Leninism
Nomenklatura
Proletariat
Revolution of the Proletariat
Social mobility
“Vanguard of the Revolution”

8.
Cold War ends: 1991
Russian Federation remains the largest country in the world
Boris Yeltsin- 1st president
Shock Therapy reforms
Unstable leader- family members and advisors took control and ran the country as an oligarchy, which invited economic and political corruption
1993: New constitution allowed for competitive elections

9. 2000-2004 Vladimir Putin: Increased centralization of power
2008: Putin aligns himself to be the Prime Minister and centralizes control to that office
3 paths to choose from: An authoritarian oligarchy, an illiberal democracy, or a budding liberal democracy?

10. History No legacy of a free market economy or democracy
Illiberal democracy: direct elections, but does not allow for the strengthening of democratic principles, civil liberties, rule of law, and independence of the judiciary
Slavic roots tend to support authoritarian rule
Room for all 3 paths

11. Sovereignty, Authority, and Power
Power = Politburo
1991, a new government structure was left with questionable legitimacy because regime change was so recent and a total 180 from the past
Historically, legitimacy was based on strong, autocratic rule (tsars, communist party, Stalinism)
Marxism-Leninism (democratic centralism ideology) provided the legitimacy base for the party
1993 Constitution: Strong President checked by the Duma
Yeltsin strengthened the legitimacy of the constitution by requiring a referendum by the people to endorse its acceptance
Putin stabilized and legitimized the government

12. Historical Influences on Political Traditions
Absolute, centralized rule
Extensive cultural heterogeneity (huge challenge)
Slavophile v. westernizer: George Kennan, Peter the Great, (Window on the West)
Revolutions of the 20th century: Vladimir Lenin and the Blosheviks. Tried to blend elements of westernization with those of the slavophile , 2nd revolution occurred when the USSR dissolved

13. Political Culture Geographic setting
Cultural orientation: Russia historically tied to Constantinople (Eastern Orthodoxy) but when they lost favor and the influence of Western Europe increased, that meant Russia did not share the values generated by the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment.
Russian statism (strong leadership/control) developed over civil society and individualism

14. Political Culture Equality of Result vs. the equality of opportunity
Many Russians resent differences of wealth or income. The west sees getting ahead as a sign of hard work, initiative, and talent
Skepticism about power
The importance of nationality

15. Political and Economic Change
Gradual and ordered change difficult
3 time periods:
A long period of autocratic rule by tsars
20th century rule by the Communist Party
An abrupt regime change to democracy and a free market in 1991
2 transitions between time periods were sparked by revolution and quick, dramatic change

16. 20th century rule by the Communist Party
Lenin and the Bolsheviks: civil war between White and Red Armies : New Economic policy allowed for private ownership to exist under centralized leadership. Farmers prospered, industrialization did not take place
Stalinism: Changed Leninism-Marxism: Central Committee of 300 elite communist party members. Politburo: 12 men who ran the show and was headed by the general secretary (dictator) 2 part plan:
Collectivization and Industrialization (collective farms, five year plans, Gosplan)
“Socialism in one country” extended to foreign policy
The Purges

17. 20th century rule by the Communist Party
Reform under Khrushchev and Gorbachev
1953 Stalin Dies; 1956 Secret Speech and deStalinization ( loosening government censorship of the press, restructure of collective farms, etc)
1985, Gorbachev- Democratization, Glasnost and Perestroika. None of his reforms were carried out.

18. 1991 to the Present 1991: failed Coup and Revolution
Boris Yeltsin- “Radical Reformer”
Constitution of 1993 created:
3 branch govt. with a president, prime minister, a lower house called the Duma and a Constitutional Court
Shock Therapy
Putin- more conservative leader who has stabilized Russia but has retreated from Democratic principles

19. Citizens, Society and the State
Cleavages:
Nationality: 80% Russian/Chechnya- Muslim concentrations in Moscow, The Caucasus, Bashkorostan and Tatarstan
Religion: Russian Orthodox, nonreligious
Social Class- (Mikhail Khodorkovsky of Yukos Oil)
Rurual vs. Urban

20. Beliefs and Attitudes
Marxism led to Russian nationalism and the belief that the Russian government and way of life would prevail- No poverty or oppression.
Collapse brought out hostility toward government:
Mistrust of Government
Statism
Economic Beliefs: Was communism better?
Westernization: Slavophile vs. Westernizer

21. Political Participation
USSR: Voting rate 100% (not competitive)
1980 voting reforms allowed for multiple communist party candidates
1991: high voter turnout compared to most industrialized democracies- however, turnout is declining
Civil Society: Low participation in other political activities due to no active civil society
Don’t attend church, sports clubs or other cultural groups- 1% belong to political parties
Growing Civil Society (1980s)
Russian Youth Groups: Nashi, (developed by Putin), Youth Guard and Locals developed to diffuse resistance to the 2008 elections

22. Political Institutions
Experimental Government
Federal Government Structure: 89 regions, 21 are ethnically non-Russian majority. Power is unequal among the regions: Asymmetric federalsim
Putin crackdown on regional autonomy:
Creation of super-districts- 7 federal districts that encompass all of Russia- 7 appointed president’s supervise the local authorities as Putin sees fit
Removal of Governors- Law allows the president to remove governors who do not comply with national constitution
Appointment of Governors: ended direct election of governors
Changes in the Federation Council: Governors and Duma heads no longer were allowed to serve themselves, they had to appoint council members

23. Linkage Institutions Not Strong Parties, revolve around a person:
United Russia: April 2001, merger of Fatherland All-Russia party and Unity Party- Putin’s party
The Communsit Party of the Russian Federation
Reformist Parties: Yabloko, Union of Right Forces
Liberal Democrats
Ideological parties replaced with parties of power

24. Elections
Referendum
Duma Elections
Presidential Elections

25. Interest Groups USSR, only allowed under state corporatism
The Oligarchy
Under Putin, state corporatism, where the state determines which groups have input into policymaking, has become well established.
Russian Mafia gained power after 1991
Oligarchy and Mafia pose a threat to the new democracy
Media: Some Privately owned and many are state controlled

26. Institutions of Government
Semi-Presidential system: Prime Minister co-exists with a president who is directly elected by the people
Executive Branch: Head of state and head of government is separate (president is strong)
Duties of President:
Appoint Prime Minister and Cabinet
Issue Decrees that have the force of law
Dissolve the Duma

27. A Bicameral Legislature
Weak check on executive power
Duma: 450 Deputies- half by proportional representation, half by single member districts
Federation Council: 2 members from the 89 federal administrative units. 1 selected by the governor and 1 is selected by the regional legislature.

28. The Judiciary
Constitution of built a Judicial system not controlled by the executive.
Constitutional Court: 19 members appointed by the president and confirmed by the Federation Council- makes sure all laws and decrees are constitutional.
Independent from the executive?
The military stays out of government-

29. Public Policy Issues The Economy Foreign Policy Terrorism
Re-Centralization of Power in the Kremlin?
Development of a Civil Society