10:57:00 RUSSIA
RUSSIA
3/6/2008 AM
Russian Federation Historical background Centuries of cultural, political and economic isolation from Europe left Russia in position of being a sort of "backward superpower" By the time of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, old regime has largely crumbled in face of competition of West. Characteristics of Tsarist Russia POLITICAL BACKWARDNESS Absolutism: Tsar exercised absolute power over ,,subjects (not citizens) Patrimonialism: Philosophy that ruler ,,owns; (not governs) country. Orthodoxy: Alliance with Russian Orthodox church, which preached obedience. ECONOMIC UNDERDEVELOPMENT -Overwhelmingly poor, rural and agricultural economy; no industrialization. AUTHORITIAN POLICE STATE -Extensive use of coercion applied through cast network of military/police personnel, most significantly the ,,OKHRANA (Tsarist secret police) COLLAPSE OF TSARIST SYSTEM Bolshevik Revolution (1917) -Weakness of system, plus enormous stress of WWI, led to its disintegration and overthrow by Bolsheviks (communist revolutionaries) under leadership of Vladimir Lenin. -Establishment of Union of Soviet Socialist republics (USSR) SOVIET UNION: INSTITUTIONAL STRUTURES Essentially compromised of three parallel structures/hierarchies, each with different functions
-PARTY -BUREAUCRACY -,,STATE"
PARTY: COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE SOVIET UNION CPSU -Control function -Constitutional Monopoly. - Democratic Centralism- Style of decision making where discussion/debate is allowed at highest level, but once policy is chosen, everyone follows the PARTYLINE (principles of a political party o which loyal members are expected o adhere) -Interlocking membership. BUREAUCRACY -IMPLEMENTTION FUNCTION -,,Apparatchik: full-time party worker/bureaucrat, "man of the apparatus" -Nomenklatura: System for filling sensitive positions within bureaucracy with trusted Party members. -Command Economy: system in which govt., not the market, determines what will be produced. GOSPLAN: soviet agency responsible for central planning. STATE -LEGITIMATION FUNCTION -Rubber Stamp parliament. -CENTRALIZED FEDERALISM- Centralized system in which states/provinces are given powers on paper which they cannot actually exercise. SIMILARITIES BETWEEN COLLAPSE OF TSARIST AND SOVIET SYSTEMS
Ethnic Problems: failed to resolve problem of "Nationalities" Illegitimacy: Over reliance on Coercion. Rigid/Parasitic Bureauracy: Over centralized and abusive. Competition with West: Bankrupt both Soviet and Tsarist economies( during the Reagan Arms race.
RUSSIA
3/11/08
3/6/2008 10:57:00 AM
"flux Time" Sources of Institutional Uncertainty in Russia Disconnect between "de jure" (legally: in law) and "de facto"(actually: in practice) institutions, permeate system even beyond political realm: 1. Electoral Realm: ,,FREE" elections, but: o media monopoly: disqualification of opposition parties; ,,Potemkin parties (parties created by govt. to give illusion of competition) (make believe parties, so the elections are legit) 2. Economic realm: market economy, but: o Govt. domination of strategic sectors; state sanctioned ,,private monopolies. Uncertainty over coming "DIARCHY" (an autocracy governed by two rulers) Election (2/08) of Dmitry Medvedev as Predisent, and near certain appointment of Vladmir Putin as PM, raises enormous questions about how power will be shared o Medvedev: very powerful position(President): political weak individual o Putin: Very Weak (maybe) position (PM): extremely powerful individual.
RUSSIA: FEDERAL PRESIDENTIAL/PARLIAMENTRY o By law the Russian Federation is a federal Presidential/ Parliamentary system. o In practice, it is neither o ,,DE FACTO Russia State Characteristics Hyper-Centralism: elimination of sub national automony.
Hyper-Presidentialism: gutting of horizontal accountability (Ability of various branches of government to hold other branches accountable.
PRESIDENT o Directly elected, 4 year term (Maximum 2 consecutive) o FORMAL POWERS. o Appoints and dismisses "PM" with Duma approval BUT: if duma rejects 3 times, pres can dissolve. o Can introduce legislation and can veto acts of Parliament. o Can issue decrees which stand until ruled unconstitutional or are vetoed by Duma. BUT: if Duma vetoes, Pres can simply re-issue. o CAN declare state of emergency and impose martial law... without needing legislative approval.. o Can call referenda.
o PRESIDENT CONTROL o Perhaps most important source of presidential power is the direct control he exercises over nearly all important state intities. o POWER AGENCIES: All ministries relating to national security report exclusively to president (NOT PM) o Most Important FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE (FCB) Former KGB FOREIGN MINISTRY DEFENSE MINISTRY INTERIOR MINISTRY: Border police, state broadcasting, etc.
o President Adminstration: 2000-person agency that exists solely to serve president, among other things, it "monitors and checks the enforcement of federal laws and Presidential decrees"
o Armed Forces: President serves as Commander-in-chief, appoints/removes Supreme Command without oversight. o Security Council: Shadow umbrella agency that coordinates defense, security, police affairs: monitors policy implementation through parallel committee structure mirroring ministries. o State Council: made up of all regional heads (sub-national executives) as ,,consultative body under direction of president. RUSSIA: GOVERNMENT o PM and Cabinet o Responsible for drafting and implementing state budget o May issue resolutions with force of law BUT: subject to presidential approval. FEDERAL ASSEMBLY(Parliament) :BICAMERAL o State DUMA (lower) o Directly elected, 4 year terms unless dissolved o Confirms PM nominees o Can remove ,,government through no confidence motion BUT: president can ignore first no confidence vote; if Duma passes 2nd time, he can dissolve and call new elections. o Can amend constitution with ,,supermajority (2/3 Lower house, Upper House) o Can annul Presidential and decrees can override Presidential vetos BUT: only 2/3 majority of BOTH houses. o Can initiate impeachment proceedings.... BIG BUT o IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURE(dont have to know this all) 1/3 duma has to bring charges of HIGH REASON or other grave crime. Supreme Court has to VALIDATE charges. Constitutional Court has to Validate that procedure were following
2/3 of Duma has to vote to support charges 2/3 of Federation Council has to vote in favor of impeachment All must happen in 12 weeks. 3 months.
o Federation COUNCIL (upper) Represents sub national governments Two senators from each of 86 Regions Not directly elected: 1 appointed by Governors (who are appointed by president): 1 elected by provincial legislatures (which can be dissolved by president) Confirms presidential appointees to Constitutional court. Must approve all federal laws concerning budget, taxes, treaties, war, and border changes Can veto Duma, but Duma can override with 2/3 vote.
o MYTH of Russian Federalism o Though Russias a federal system on paper, under Putin there has been a massive process of RECENTRALIZATION-(taking away powers of subnational governments and giving it to national governments. o Recentralization changes Creation of SEVEN new federal SUPERDISTRICTS. Headed by Presidential appointee: new layer. Reform of the Federation Council Removal of governors from FC. Creation of new State Council Consultative body made up of all governors. New presidential power to dismiss governors and dissolve regional assemblies. Constitutional Court 19 judges appointed by president, approved by Federation council
15 Year term, but cant be removed from office. Separated from rest of court system (hears no appeals or reviews of lower court decisions) Can hear cases brought (directly) by citizens or government agencies. Hyperpresidentialism: Informal Sources of Presidental Power De Facto Control of State- domination of all branches of government leaves only one point of access for interest articulation (President) Patronage: President essentially in control of all sate resources (jobs, contracts, appointments, etc) which are used to reward loyalty Media Control: Effective near monopoly of stateowned media, overseen by president, means only his message is heard.
March 25
Read powerpoint for Election and political groups.
3/6/2008 10:57:00 AM
Why the Democratic Reversal? Multiple failures during first phase of democratic transition under Boris Yeltsin( First democratically elected post-soviet leader) led to widespread disillusionment with Western-style democracy. Sources of Disillusionment with "western-style democracy 1. FAILURE OF ECONOMIC REFORMS Introduction of "SHOCK THERAPY reforms (rapid transition from state-controlled to free market economy) caused enormous pain for most Russians. 2. MASSIVE INCREASE IN CORRUPTION/CRIME o Most of the reforms benefited a tiny minority, the OLIGARCHS (powerful, wealthy businessmen) through corrupt deals, especially in area of PRIVATIZATION (selling of state-owned assets to private interests) 3. CENTER_PERIPHERY CRISIS o Weakened central government and nationalist aspirations in non-Russian republics created deep dear of balkanization (Fragmentation or breakup of a country into small, ethnicallybased territories) Backlash and Putins managed Democracy. o As result of widespread anger, fear and discontent over perceived failures or WESTERN democracy, broad support for Putins establishment of a system more appropriate for Russia, what he calls "Managed Democracy" o Means of controlling society while maintaining the appearance of democracy. Characteristics of "managed Democracy" 1. A strong presidency and weak institutions. 2. State control of the media
3. Elections which are non-competitive and serve only to legitimize status quo. Current Issues: Violent in Russia -Ethnic/Religious Terrorism -Criminal Violence -State Violence Ethnic Religious Terrorism: sources and types Ethno-Nationalist o SEPARATIST: want to break away from existing state/country and form new independent country o IRREDENTISTS: Want to withdraw from existing unit and join another existing unit/country Islamic Extremist: o Various groups, come linked with al Qaeda, fighting to establish a "CALIPHATE" (state governed by Islamic Principal/laws) in areas of Federation Territory. Inter-Ethnic Conflict: o Multiple and often vicious battles between various (mostly noRussian) Ethnic groups. Moscow Theater Siege (2002) ,,black widows of Chechnya men killed by Russians. Beslan School (2004) 1200 adults and children hostage. Russian forces storm building. 400 killed and 186 children.
Criminal violence -Loosening of state controls after Soviet collapse led to dramatic rise in power/reach of various "mafiyas" (Russian organized crime) State Violence o Substantial surge in political violence carried out by government or its allies against regime critic inside and outside Russia.
o At Home. Since Putin came to power, numerous journalist have been killed in contract-style murders; many more have died under questionable circumstance. All were investigating corruption or human rights abuses. Russia is now second only to Iraq as the most dangerous place in the world for journalists. o OVERSEES: high profile assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in London only one of many murders carried out by Russian security agents against critics living outside of Russia. In July 2006, Duma actually unanimously approved law authorizing FSB to hunt down and kill ,,enemies of the state living anywhere in the world.
Other issue: Demographic Crisis o Catastrophic public health care situation has come concerned that Russians may be going ,,extinct o Death by disease, alcoholism, industrial accidents, suicide, etc. combined with low/dropping birth rate have led to sharply negative population growth. From 1993-2005, lost 4% or 5.8 million: lose roughly 800,000/ year In 2005, life expectancy for males (59) ranked 164 th in world... nine spots BEHIND Bangladesh.