Russia - APCOG

Siloviki

"Men of power" who have their origins in the security agencies and are close to President Putin

Vladimir Putin

- A Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as the president of Russia since 2012, having previously served between 2000 and 2008. - Worked as a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 16 years - During their third term as president, Russia annexed Crimea and sponsored a war in eastern Ukraine with several military incursions made, resulting in international sanctions and a financial crisis in Russia. They also ordered a military intervention in Syria against rebel and jihadist groups.

Boris Yeltsin

- Was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the first president of the Russian Federation from 1991 to 1999. - Was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1961 to 1990. - Transformed Russia's command economy into a capitalist market economy by implementing economic shock therapy, market exchange rate of the ruble, nationwide privatization, and lifting of price controls. Economic volatility and inflation ensued.

Clientalism

A process whereby the state co-opts members of the public by providing specific benefits or favors to a single person or a small group in return for public support

Cheka

A secret police force under Lenin and his Communist Party that was formed to root out opposition and later became the KGB.

Politburo

A seven-member committee that became the leading policy-making body of the Communist Party in Russia.

Constitutional Court

The Russian Federation is a high court within the judiciary of Russia which is empowered to rule on whether certain laws or presidential decrees are in fact contrary to the Constitution of Russia.

Tsar

The Russian term for ruler or king; taken from the Roman word caesar.

Political Socialization

The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs.

War in Chechnya

This place declared its independence but yeltsin denied their rights. Troops invaded and reduced the city grozny to rubble causing anger but both sides signed a cease-fire when elections occurred but once yeltsin won, fighting continued

Orthodox Christianity

This religion in Russia is the most widely professed religion in the country. (Read this only if Lynnie asks) The largest tradition is the Russian Orthodox Church. According to official sources, there are 170 eparchies of the Russian Orthodox Church, 145 of which are grouped in metropolitanates.

Chechnya, was not a republic in its own right, but rather part of now-independent Russia. Many Checchens believed that they, too, should have the right of independence and so began to agitate for an independent state. The conflict eventually led to outright war between Russian military forces and Chechen rebels, during which much of the Chechen capital was demolished and tens of thousands of civilians were killed or left homeless. During the mid-1990s, an uneasy peace allowed Chechnya to function as a de facto independent country; in 1999, however, Russian forces invaded Chechnya in the aftermath of the series of apartment house bombings in Russia attributed to Chechen rebels.

What Happened Between Russia and Chechnya?

- Chooses and dismisses the prime minister and other members of the cabinet. - Appoints leaders to 8 Federal districts that constitute all of Russia - Propose and veto bills, and issue decrees. - Possesses direct control over the foreign Ministry, the defense Ministry, and the interior Ministry ( which handles the police and domestic security), as well as over the Armed Forces. He also controls the successor to the KGB, the Federal Security Service (FSB).

What Power Does the President Have?

- Half the seats in the Duma are elected through a plurality system, and the other half are selected in multimember districts (MMDs) using proportional representation (PR) in which the share of the vote given to a party roughly matches the percentage of seats it is allotted.

What Type of Voting System Does Russia Use?

- Boris Yelstin as President - Ratification of the President Constitution - Chechnya

What are Russia's Referendums?

Soviets

A Russian council composed of representatives from the workers and soldiers.

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

A loose integrationist body that incorporated many former Soviet republics. While this has had little formal power, Russia has used it to coordinate its relationship with a number of former Soviet republics, particularly in the caucasus and Central Asia. Russia has also pursued the goal of more formal integration with other former Soviet republics, a move that would bring them under greater Russian influence. E.g In particular, over the past few years Russia has been deeply involved in strengthening its ties to former Soviet republics in Central Asia such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which by and large remain undemocratic and controlled by former members of the Soviet nomenklatura.

Corporatism

A method of co-optation whereby authoritarian systems create or sanction a limited number of organizations to represent the interests of the public and restrict those not set up or approved by the state.

A Just Russia

A much newer party, can also be placed in the leftist camp. Founded in 2006 as a merger of several smaller parties, this political party defines itself as a social-democratic party along European lines. Its platform emphasizes social justice and reducing inequality, and in general its ideological profile is perhaps clearer than any other party In the Duma.

Perestroika

A policy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev that involved restructuring of the social and economic status quo in communist Russia towards a market based economy and society.

Glasnost

A policy of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev which called for more openness with the nations of West, and a relaxing of restraints on Soviet citizenry.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Although committed to preserving the Soviet state and its Marxist-Leninist ideals, this person believed significant reform to be necessary for survival. He withdrew troops from the Soviet-Afghan War and embarked on summits with United States president Ronald Reagan to limit nuclear weapons and end the Cold War. Domestically, his policy of glasnost ("openness") allowed for enhanced freedom of speech and press, while his perestroika ("restructuring") sought to decentralize economic decision-making to improve its efficiency. His democratization measures and formation of the elected Congress of People's Deputies undermined the one-party state. Gorbachev declined to intervene militarily when various Eastern Bloc countries abandoned Marxist-Leninist governance in 1989-1992. Internally, growing nationalist sentiment threatened to break up the Soviet Union, leading Marxist-Leninist hardliners to launch the unsuccessful August Coup against Gorbachev in 1991. In the coup's wake, the Soviet Union dissolved against this person's wishes. After resigning the presidency, he launched the Gorbachev Foundation, became a vocal critic of Russian presidents Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, and campaigned for Russia's social-democratic movement.

Kremlin

Citadel of Moscow, housing the offices of the Russian government. For centuries, Russians have referred to executive power, whether in the form of the tsar or the general secretary, as this.

Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR)

During the 1990s, one of the most infamous aspects of the Russian party spectrum was the strength of extreme nationalism. Headed by Vladamir Zhirinovsky. Neither liberal nor democratic, this political party espouses a rhetoric of nationalism, xenophobia, and anti-semetism, calling for such things as the reconstitution of the Soviet Union (perhaps by force) and exhibiting general hostility toward the West.

Insider Privatization

During the late 1990s, Russia began the process of privatization, which was equally problematic. This started with the distribution of vouchers to the public so that Russians could purchase shares that would give them ownership in formerly state-owned businesses. In many cases, however, businesses were not sold off to a large number of shareholders but became subject to this, which enabled the former directors of these firms to acquire the largest number of shares. Therefore, wealth was nor dispersed but was concentrated in the hands of those who had strong economic and political connections.

Loans-For-Shares-Program

Entailed Russian business giving the government loans in return for taking the shares of strategic assets as collateral. The problem of the oligarchs was compounded in 1996, when the government instituted this. Strapped for cash (and fearful of a Communist Party victory in the 1996 presidential elections), the Yeltsin Administration chose to borrow funds from the oligarchs in return for shares in those businesses that had not yet been sold off by the state - in particular, the lucrative natural resources industry and the energy sector. Overall, foreign investment played a very small role in the Russian privatization process.

Federal Security Service (FSB)

Government agency responsible for internal security, counter-terrorism, and control of Russia's borders. The principal domestic security agency in Russia. Analogous to the FBI in the United States. Successor to the KGB, the Russian intelligence agency.

Oligarch

Government by the few, especially despotic power exercised by a small and privileged group for corrupt or selfish purposes. In which members of the ruling group are wealthy or exercise their power through their wealth are known as plutocracies.

Russia's use of disinformation and cyber-attacks to influence domestic politics in the United States and Europe. Such tactics are not new: propaganda was an important part of the Soviet foreign policy, including disinformation to sow confusion abroad. Globalization has given the Russian government new tools. Fake news and troll factories (media) supported by Russian security agencies, and direct cyber attacks on various organizations worldwide, from political parties to government infrastructure.

How Does Russia Expand and Reassert Power?

Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)

In one of his first announcements coinciding with his campaign to return to the presidency, Putin called for the creation of this for economic and political integration. The school has developed alongside the increased promotion of the idea that Russia has a distinct National Destiny, unconnected to European or liberal cultural and political traditions. An economic union created in 2014. Its founding members are Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Armenia and Kyrgyzstan became members in 2015.

United Russia

Main political party in Russia and supporter of Vladimir Putin. This political party swept the 2003 elections and has won a majority of seats ever since (as well as extending its reach over local government). As of the 2016 elections, this political party holds 344 of 450 Duma seats- a supermajority that gives it the ability to change the constitution without needing the support of any other party.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Oligarch in Russia arrested and imprisoned for his opposition to the Putin administration. A man who was rich following the opening up of the Soviet economy in the 1980s by investing in such Ventures as computer Imports. Later, he took advantage of the state sale of Natural Resources, gaining control over a large portion of the oil and gas sector. However, under the Putin Administration, this man came under pressure, in part for his increasing political activity. In 2003, he was arrested and charged with tax evasion: his firms were liquidated and in many cases nationalized. He was sentenced to prison and was not pardoned until 2013, after which he was sent into exile.

Yabloko

One of the leading reformist parties in Russia. Pro civil liberties/rights. This political party's pro-western and pro-market economy stance drew support from white-collar workers and urban residents in the major cities.

Nomenklatura

Politically sensitive or influential jobs in the state, society, or economy that were staffed by people chosen or approved by the Communist Party

Shock Therapy

Rapidly dismantling central planning and freeing up prices with the hope that these actions would stimulate competition and the creation of new businesses. The immediate result was a wave of hyperinflation: in 1992 alone, the inflation rate was over 2,000 percent. Savings were wiped out, the economy sank into recession, and tensions between President Boris Yelstin and the parliament deppened, helping to foster the violent clash between the two branches of government in 1993. The gross domestic product (GDP) contracted dramatically, only in the late 1990s did it begin to grow again.

Duma

Russian national legislature

Caucasus

The Russian conquest of this area mainly occurred between 1800 and 1864. The Russian Empire sought to control the region between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. South of the mountains was the territory that is modern Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Iran and Turkey. The North region of this area lies in the southwestern-most corner of the Russian Federation, and was colonized by the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century. It is bounded by the Black and Caspian Seas. Its south borders the South Caucasian nations of Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Resource Trap

Theory of development in which the existence of natural resources in a given state is a barrier to modernization and democracy. Russia appears to be moving toward a this kind of economy like those found in Iran and Saudi Arabia. The argument is that where natural resources are a major part of the economy and owned by the state, they run the risk of giving the state and government too much economic power while cycling other forms of Economic Development. Declining natural resources or declining demand for those resources could eventually undermine Russia's economic process.

Federation Council

There are a total of 170 members or seats in this council, which is the upper house. It consists of 24 republics, 48 oblasts, 9 kris, three federal cities, four okrugs and one oblast. This council comprises two representatives from every Russian region. One acts as the representative authority and the other as the executive authority. The main powers they have are legislative powers. The Council is responsible and has power over law making and law reviewing.

Communist Party of the Russian Federation

This is a left-wing nationalist and communist political party in Russia that officially adheres to Marxist-Leninist philosophy. It is the second-largest political party in Russia after United Russia. The youth organisation of the party is the Leninist Young Communist League.

Alexei Navalny

This person was a Russian Opposition Coordination Council member. He is the leader of the Russia of the Future party and founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). He is recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, and was awarded the Sakharov Prize for his work on human rights.

Dimitri Medvedev

This person's main domestic agenda has been the wide-ranging modernisation programmes which aims at modernising Russia's economy and society. Another important program has been the Russian police reform, launched by this person in 2009, and led to the renaming of the Policing Organisation from Militsiya to police. In foreign policy, this person assumed a more conciliatory tone than his predecessor, pursuing a closer relationship with the United States in general and with President Barack Obama in particular; The New START nuclear arms reduction treaty is regarded as this person's main achievement in foreign affairs. Under this person's ruling, Russia intervened on behalf of South Ossetia and Abkhazia after a Georgian military attack against the de facto independent regions, and emerged victorious in the ensuing five-day 2008 South Ossetia war. During this person's ruling tenure, Russia also struggled with and recovered from the serious late 2000s financial crisis. Other important decisions made by this person include lowering the Duma election threshold from 7% to 5%, firing Moscow's powerful but criticised mayor Yuri Luzhkov, launching a large-scale privatisation of state-owned companies, removing state officials from the boards of state-owned companies and the extension of the Presidential term from four years to six.

- Boasts a cult of personality around Putin, a youth wing that advances the cause of the party, and party membership as a means for individual access to important jobs in the state and economy. National pride and stability are the main selling points of United Russia, and Putin is positioned as the individual who can achieve this goal.

What Are United Russia's Beliefs?

Russia's bicameral Parliament is known officially as the federal assembly. It comprises a lower house, the 450-seat state Duma, and an upper house, the 170-seat Federation Council. Members of the Duma is the more powerful of the two houses.

What is Russia's Bicameral Known As?

The Russian government has turned more toward nationalism as a source of legitimacy and also emphasized the Orthdox Christianity as a central part of what makes Russia unique (and distinct from the West and Western liberalism).

What is Russia's Legitimacy Based On?

Dominated by a set of factions composed of siloviki And other Elites who support Putin while competing with one another. The Russian political economy has become highly patronal, and Putin uses his position to provide economic access to his inner circle in return for their loyalty.

What is Russia's Political Economy Like?

- Supervise Ministries not under presidential control and propose legislation to Parliament that upholds the president's policy goals, and promulgates the national budget.

What is the Role of the Prime Minister?

Asymmetric Federalism

When power is divided unevenly between regional bodies; for example, some regions are given greater power over taxation or language rights than others- a more likely outcome in a country with significant ethnic divisions.

- Avoid responsibility - Shift accountability - Establish legitimacy - More democratic

Why are Referendums Good for Government?

Nashi

Youth camp that's government funded, organized and sponsored that teaches about Putin's greatness.

Plurality System

an electoral system in which the winner is the person who gets the most votes, even if he or she does not receive a majority; used in almost all American elections