Russian Federation

By David Marino and Patrick Shin

Rus, Kiev, Muscovy, and Tsars• Vikings in Eastern Europe created the first Slavic state Rus• Kievan Rus of the 11th century was a prosperious nation, but

was conquered by the Mongols• The more aggressive Muscovy drove out the Mongols and

established Tsardom• Series of ruthless, but efficient rulers (Ivan, Peter, Catherine)

governed the Russian Empire• However, unable to follow suit to Western Europes’ advances,

Russia remained a backward state that relied upon serfs• That and a series of weak rulers, failed reforms, and World

War I incited major unrests

Lenin, Leninism and Democratic Centralism

• The Tsardom was overthrown by Vladmir Lenin of the Bolsheviks and he established a communist state under the code of Democratic Centralism

• Advocated a strong central leadership (Communist party) that will guide the general public for their greater good

• Lenin’s reign of Russia had some authoritarian elements, but remained relatively lax

Stalin, Gulags and the Iron Wall• Successor Joseph Stalin planned a series of reforms to

accelerate the industrialization of Russia– Made farms state property– Forcefully relocated farmers to industrial centers– Five year plan to double production of goods within a given time

• Also enacted a series of political purges to remove dissidents within and outside the party that claimed lives of many innocents

• Advocated a isolationist policy for a “communism in one country,” but was forcefully pulled out of isolation by Adolf Hitler

Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and Gorbachev

• Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin and lead Russia during Cold War. Despite some soft reforms, he was marred by failures

• Brezhnev took a conservative stance and remained steadfast in keeping the Soviet system

• Gorbachev, aware of the political rust, attempted a series of reforms known as Glasnost (free speech), Demokartizatsiya (democratization), and Perestroika (Ecnomic reforms)

Soviet Union (Property of CPSU)

• The Communist Party of Soviet Union was the only route to success and power

• There was an extensive bureaucratic order, but the Poliburo and Secretariats, who acted as legislators and central administrators respectively, held most of the power

• Power structure forced lower bodies to be under the whims of the upper political bodies

The Collapse

• Gorbachev’s reforms slowly built up unrest in the population while the communist bloc slowly disintegrates

• Boris Yeltsin was made President of Russia• After an attempted coup against Gorbachev,

the USSR slowly fell apart until 1993, the new Constitution wiped Soviet Union off the world

Russian Federation

• Boris Yeltsin attempted to make a series of reforms including his shock therapy plan to bring Russia into the market economy rapidly. However, he was often ill, devovled to alcoholism, and relied upon his family and a group of oligarchs to support him

• His successor, Vladmir Putin, was more conservative in his stance and acted aggressively against certain oligarchs and ethnic rebellions while trying to instill stability

Quick Facts

• Population: 140,702,096 (10th)• Population Density: 8.74 people per meters squared

(180th, 2005)• GDP: $986,939,600,000.00 (9th, 2006)• GDP per Capita: $6,932.33 per capita (72nd, 2006)

• President: Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV (D.M.)Premier: Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN, also leader of the United Russia Party. (D.M.)

• Government form: Federal Republic

Key Characteristics

• Largest nation in the world

• Abundance of natural resources

• Former head of the Soviet Bloc

• Declining life expectancy• Numerous environmental

problems• Locked in ethnic conflicts

• Large minorities in a large nation

• Lack of experience with Western civil society

Political Culture and Attitudes

• Distrust the government after years of tyranny and failures

• Statism: Despite distrust, Russians still expect the government to directly involve themselves into the people’s lives

• Large cleavages are present in the country involving– Economic policy– Ethnicity– Westernization

Authority and Legitimacy of Russian Government

• History characterized by– Long period of rules by authoritarian tsars– Ruled by the communist regime– Recent rapid transition into democracy

• Legitimacy lies within the written constitution, but in reality the historical legitimacy lies within a strong charismatic ruler. So Putin, and to an certain extent, the oligrachs and Russian Mafia hold legitimacy

• Authority also comes from the constitution in technical sense

Presidency and Premier(ancy?)• Russia has an interesting system where both a premier and a

president exist• The president is elected by a two-ballot system similar to France

where a run off ballot is created when no candidates have a majority

• President runs a very centralized administration with a powerful set of ministries

• They can also decree issues with the force of law• Premiers are appointed by the president with the consent of the

Duma (Lower legislators) • While Premiers were appointed based on their loyalty to

presidnet, as the current premier, Putin holds strong power

The Legislators and Judicators

The Parties and Government

Authorities Without Consent