Comparative Unit 3: Russia

Leonid Brezhnev

Seized power from Nikita Khrushchev and became leader of the Soviet Communist party in 1964. Ordered forces to Afghanistan and Czechoslovakia.

Yabloko

Small party in Russia that advocates democracy and a liberal political economic system

KGB

Soviet secret police agency charged with domestic and foreign intelligence

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet statesman whose foreign policy brought an end to the Cold War and whose domestic policy introduced major reforms (born in 1931).

Beslan 2004

3 day hostage taking of over 1000 people in North Ossetia. Chechen Islamic militants took people including 777 children hostage at School Number One in North Ossetia, the autonomous republic in the North Caucases region of the Russian Federation. Islamic militants were demanding the end of the Second Chechen War and the removal of Russian forces from the area.

Nikita Khrushchev

A Soviet leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also famous for denouncing Stalin and allowed criticism of Stalin within Russia.

Asymmetrical Federalism

A form of federalism in which some subnational units in the federal system have greater or lesser powers than others.

Perestroika

A policy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev that restructured the economy (less Communist).

Vanguard Party

A political party that claims to operate in the "true" interests of the group or class that it purports to represent, even if this understanding doesn't correspond to the expressed interests of the group itself. United Russia.

Illiberal Democracy

A procedural democracy, with elections, but without real competition, and lacking some civil rights and liberties.

Politburo

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

Just Russia

A small party in the Russian Duma with a social-democratic orientation

Market Reform

A strategy of economic transformation that involves reducing the role of the state in managing the economy and increasing the role of market forces.

Soft Authoritarian

A system of political control in which a combination of formal and informal mechanisms ensure the dominance of a ruling group or dominant party, despite the existence of some forms of political competition and expressions of political opposition.

Yegor Gaidar

Acting Prime Minister between Yeltsin and Chernomyrdin

World Trade Organization

Administers the rules governing trade between its 144 members. Helps producers, importers, and exporters conduct their business and ensure that trade flows smoothly.

UK and Russian Prime Ministers

Both Head of Governments

United Nations

An international organization formed after WWII to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.

Regional Governors

Appoint positions in Russian Federation Council

Legacy of the USSR

Authoritarian Regime

Dmitri Medvedev

Became President for a term in 2008, then became Prime Minister in 2012.

Joseph Stalin

Bolshevik revolutionary, head of the Soviet Communists after 1924, and dictator of the Soviet Union from 1928 to 1953, including during WWII. He led the Soviet Union with an iron fist, using Five-Year Plans to increase industrial production and terror to crush opposition

Appointment and Removal of Governors

Chosen and removed by President.

Kremlin

Citadel of Moscow, housing the offices of the Russian government

Electoral System(s) of Russia (Duma vs. Federation Council)

Duma: Proportional Representation Fed Council: Chosen by Regional Governors

Sources of legitimacy in Russia

Elections, social and political cleavages.

Boris Yeltsin

First President of the Russian Republic in 1991. Helped end the USSR and force Gorbachev to resign.

Lenin

Founded the Communist Party in Russia and set up the world's first Communist Party dictatorship. He led the October Revolution of 1917, in which the Communists seized power in Russia. He then ruled the country until his death in 1924.

Gazprom

Government controlled Russian natural gas company.

Russia's Prime Minister

Head of Government

Russia's President

Head of State

Constitutional Court Russia

Highest body in the Russian legal system; responsible for constitutional review

Is Russia an illiberal democracy or a soft authoritarian regime?

It is an illiberal democracy shifting towards a soft authoritarian regime because there are currently mechanisms in place to ensure the changing of powers but are not enforced. However, Putin is now starting to change the structure of government to ensure his stay in power.

Shock Therapy

Lifting price controls, encouraging small business, privatizing many state industries, opening to global influences at rapid speed. Caused hyperinflation and massive unemployment, leading to the rise of oligarchs.

Westernizer

Members of Russian leadership who said that Russia needs to become more like Europe if it's to survive.

Silovki

Members of the security services, the military, and the police; presence of Silovki in present-day Russia hints at authoritarianism.

Chechnya Conflict

Military conflict between the Russian military and armed Chechen rebels in southern Russia - the Chechens seek to be an independent country separate from Russia

Floating System

Party loyalty is not based on ideology, but rather charisma.

Liberal Democratic Party

Political party in Russia with a nationalist and antidemocratic orientation. Led by Vladmir Zhirinovaky.

Vladimir Putin

President of Russia. Part of United Russia. Elected President in 2000, then told people to vote for Medvedev, who later made him Prime Minister, and then after sitting out one term, ran again and won again in 2012.

Political socialization in Russia

Propaganda on TV

Missed out on "Westernization"

Russia

Slavophile

Russian intellectuals in the early 19th century who favored resisting western European influences and taking pride in the traditional peasant values and institutions of the Slavic people.

"Parties of Power" (Catch All Parties)

Russian parties created by political elites to support their political aspirations; typically lacking any ideological orientation

Communist Party of the Russian Federation

Successor party in Russia to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union led by Gennady Zyuganov

Central Committee

Supposedly the most important body in a communist party; its influence declined as it grew in size and the party needed daily leadership.

Federation Council

The 178-seat upper house of Russia. Wields relatively little power and represents local interests. It must approve bills that involve certain issues, and can reject Duma legislation, but only within certain parameters.

Russian Orthodox Church

The church of Russia, branch of; supported the Tsar; There was a gap between poor parish peasants and rich bishops

Russian Revolution

The revolution against the Tsarist government which led to the abdication of Nicholas II and the creation of a provisional government in March 1917.

G8

The following group of eight industrialized nations: Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States.

Democratic Centralism

The idea of a vanguard party. A central group of party leaders is necessary to safeguard the people's "revolution" from enemies at home and broad. Contributes to political culture today. Makes it difficult for democracy to take hold.

State Duma

The lower house of the Russian parliament. It proposes legislation, excercises oversight on the bureaucracy. 7% threshold for proportional representation.

United Russia

The main political party led by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Chernobyl (1986)

The nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union that suffered two large explosions which released massive amounts of radioactive materials. After this incident, government began to question whether the environment and people could be protected from nuclear catastrophes.

Privatization

To change from government or public ownership or control to private ownership or control.

Collectivization

a system in which private farms are eliminated and peasants work land owned by the government

UK and Russian Political Parties

UK Political Parties are more different with competitive elections. Russia has some different parties but United Russia almost always wins.

Tacit Social Contract

Unwritten agreement that grants Soviet power in exchange for guaranteed employment, free social services, a lax work environment, and limited interferences in personal life.

State Capture

a type of systemic political corruption in which private interests significantly influence a state's decision-making processes. Gazprom is an example of a company run by Putin.

Hybrid Regime

a government with both authoritarian and democratic elements

Nomenklatura

a list of influential posts in government and industry to be filled by Communist Party appointees.

Oligarch

a member of a small ruling group that holds great power

Glasnost

a policy of the Soviet government under Mikhail Gorbachev allowing freer discussion and openness (more criticism allowed).

Kremlinization

centralizing power to Putin, state control of media

Russian Mafia

controls more than under-world crime, control local businesses, natural resources, banks, thrive on protection money, laundering, deals with Russian governments, murder bankers, journalists, etc.

New Thinking

easing Cold War tensions with the west under Mikhail Gorbachev

Presidential Runoff procedure

if a majority is needed, runoff must take place

Dual Executive

in hybrid democratic regimes, an executive branch of government characterized by a division of authority and responsibility between a president and a prime minister

Competitive Elections

not happening in Russia

Statist

one who believes in extensive government control of personal and economic liberties

Five Year Plans

plans outlined by Joseph Stalin in 1928 for the development of the Soviet Union's economy

Super Districts

seven new federal districts encompassing all of Russia, each headed by a presidential appointee

Gosplan

the State Planning Commission which oversaw Stalin's series of five year plans

Demokratizatsia

the policy of adding more democratic organizations led by Mikhail Gorbachev.