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Presentation Outline. Sovereignty, Authority and Power state, nations, and regimes Sovereignty Sources of legitimacy Political culture. I. a) state, nations, and regimes. The Russian state was established in the 1200s Russia is the world’s largest state in total area. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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The Russian Federation
Sovereignty, Authority, and Power
Presentation Outline
I. Sovereignty, Authority and Powera) state, nations, and regimesb) Sovereigntyc) Sources of legitimacyd) Political culture
I. a) state, nations, and regimes
• The Russian state was established in the 1200s • Russia is the world’s largest state in total area.• Historically, its dimensions have expanded
through conquest and contracted on account of defeats, concessions, and regimes changes
Territorial Evolution of the Russian State
Russia since 1991
What do you notice from these two maps?
Regimes
There are three distinct regime periods in modern Russian history
1) Tsarist rule, 1600s-1917
2) Communist rule, 1917-1991
3) Democratic rule since 1991
NationsRussia is a multi-ethnic state with dozens of different nationalitiesNationalities as a percentage of total population:Russian- 79.8%Tatar- 3.8%Ukrainian- 2%Bashkir- 1.2%Chuvash- 1.1%Other- 12.1%
Source: CIA Factbook (Russia) 2012
I. b) Sovereignty• Power is concentrated in the Kremlin, Russia`s equivalent
of the White House• Although the Duma has considerable lawmaking powers,
the President wields an enormous amount of influence and power (we will revisit this in the section on political institutions)
• Russia is considered a strong state, conceding very little if any sovereignty to supranational organizations or NGOs
• However, Russia’s recent accession (2011) to the WTO has meant that it is subject to WTO trade regulations
Russian hegemony
Russia exerts a great deal of influence over other states:
• as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council
• as the economic, military, and political leader of the Commonwealth of Independent States
• as one of the world`s largest oil and gas producers
Russia is a leading supplier of natural gasEuropeans are dependent on Russian gas to heat their homes during the winter. This gives Russia enormous economic and political leverage.
Russian oil
• Although not a member of OPEC, Russia is the second biggest exporter of crude oil and thus has considerable influence over the supply and price of oil
Russian FederalismRussia is a federal state. Review: What is the difference between a unitary and federal state?
21 republics 47 Oblasts 9 Krais 4 Autonomous Krais
2 Federal Cities
•Nominally autonomous
•Most major nations have their own republics
•Have their own constitutions, control over education and language
•Elected legislature
•Locally elected Governor
•Equivalent of a province
•Elected legislature
•Locally elected Governor
•Also includes autonomous Jewish oblast in the Far-East
•Equivalent of a territory
•Elected legislature
•Locally elected•Governor
•Located in frontier regions
•Same as Krais but with more significant ethnic minority populations
•Major cities of Moscow and St.Petersburg function as regions with and elected legislature and locally elected mayor
Russia has 83 federal subjects or sub-units
Federal DistrictsRussia has 8 Federal Districts (created in 2000), each with a presidentially appointed envoy or Plenipotentiary Representative, charged with the task of ensuring that all the republics, krais, and oblasts comply with federal laws.
Why is Russia said to be a very centralized federal state How does this differ from strong federal states such as Canada, the USA, and Germany
I. c) Sources of Legitimacy
1) 1993 democratic constitution which was approved in a state-wide referendum
• established semi-presidential system• direct elections for the Duma and Presidency• established the Constitutional Court
2) Charismatic personality of Vladimir Putin• Credited with providing economic and political stability• Large following and popularity
I. d) Political Culture• History of authoritarianism• Friction between Western modernizers and
Slavophiles• Widespread belief that citizens have little influence
over policy (apathy)• Growing acceptance of the current regime• Disappointment with the results of democratization
and market reforms• Materialist culture
Source: http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/10/19/russians-to-democracy-good-riddance/
Source: http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/10/19/russians-to-democracy-good-riddance/
Political Culture of apathy
http://www.russiavotes.org/duma/duma_vote_trends.php#008
Materialist Values
•Decades of Soviet rule which banned official religious practices secularized a previously very traditional culture•People in Russia, similar to those in other ex-communist states, tend to prioritize economic security over post-materialist concerns such as health, or the environment.
Discussion Questions
1) Compare and Contrast Russian federalism with British devolution.
2) To what extent does Russia’s political culture influence and shape its democracy?
3) Why is Russia considered a strong state but the U.K. is not?
4) Does Russia’s current regime have enough legitimacy to survive?