The Russian Federation

Outline

1) Leadership transitions

2) Thinking about Russia

a) Diversity

b) Poverty

c) The Environment

d) Key Questions

i) Will Putin, et al. be able to strengthen and stabilize the Russian state?

ii) Are democratization and legitimization possible?

iii) Will economic troubles doom political reform?

iv) How will global forces — especially economic ones — shape a new Russia?

3) The Evolution of the Russian State

a) The Broad Sweep of Russian History

b) The wrong revolution: Russia was not what Marx predicted because of

i) backwardness

ii) failed reform

iii) the weak state

iv) Lenin and revolution

c) Stalin, Terror, and the Modernization of the Soviet Union

d) Industrialization

e) Foreign Policy

f) The Purges

g) Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and the politics of decline

4) The Soviet State and Its Collapse: The Gorbachev Years

a) The Party-state

b) Reform

i) Glasnost

ii) Democratization

iii) Peristroika

iv) Foreign policy

c) Crisis and collapse

5) Birth Pangs

6) Political Culture and Participation

d) Political culture

e) Political Parties and elections

i) elections

ii) parties today

(1) Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF)

(2) Unity

(3) Yaboloko

(4) Union of Right Forces

(5) Fatherland-All Russia

(6) Liberal Democrats

iii) balance sheet

7) The Russian State

a) A presidential republic

b) The Oligarchs

c) Parliament

d) The bureaucracy

e) The judiciary

f) Federalism

g) The military

h) The Bottom Line

8) Public Policy

i) The economy

j) Foreign policy

k) The United States

9) Feedback

Commentary

Perhaps more than any country describe in this text, individual political figures matter in contemporary Russia. Historically, you can use the names of Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Gorbachev, and Yeltsin to tell the story of modern Russia. There may be more names to take into account than there are for China (Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin), but the Soviet Union had a 30-year head start on Communism in China. The first Key Question in this chapter asks whether President Putin will be able to maintain an effective Russian state. Thus, there's another biography to consider. These biographies ought to be considered in the context of the communist state, in which these men lived most of their lives.

Knowing the importance of personal leadership provides some clues about how Russian government and politics work today, but there are other forces at work too. Ethnic politics may often be overshadowed by economic crisis, but seem ready to burst into open conflict in many places. Chechnya is only the most violent example. In addition, Russian nationalism is still a strong force, as is the desire for the custodial aspects of Communism.

A second key question asks about the relationship between economic fate and political fate. The transition away from a command economy is a difficult one, and Russia is suffering during the transition. Exacerbating the problems is the role played by the so-called “Russian mafia.” Whether organized criminals are as organized in Russia as in other places, the level of illegal activity appears high, and the links to legitimate business and political activity seem powerful.

From the perspective of the Western industrialized democracies, a viable political party system seems to be a key to the success of democratic regimes. The personalized "floating parties" of Russia don't look like the successful systems of the West. However, the stabilizing blocks of public opinion may be precursors to a future, more stable party system.

Internal forces are not the only ones at work. If environmentalists are correct, Mother Nature or Gaia is going to come calling on the Russians soon and demand an accounting (if that hasn’t already happened around Chernobyl). The disaster around the Aral Sea may be the next site of nature's "demand for payment." Russia’s neighbors may well be stand-ins for Mother Nature. Norway is already demanding changes in the nickel smelter on its northern border with Russia.

If global forces aren’t making environmental demands, they are making economic ones. And those demands will probably require more than cash. They will require more restructuring. Controversy seems to follow most of them, so you will be able to find

examples reported in the media regularly. Western cultural influences, from missionaries to New York advertising firms appear everywhere, especially in European Russia. Foreign political and economic advisors, some academics from the U.S. work for government bureaus and politicians. The International Monetary Fund demands market reforms and offers loans to prop up the economy and the government. But, what demands can be met? What demands will be met? Putin's response has been to try to strengthen the state. Critics have argued that he's weakening democracy in the process.

It’s a given that popular sentiment was never given much thought in the Soviet Union. The U.S.S.R. has been described as a state without a demand structure in any part of its culture. If that’s true, how will all the nations of Russia respond to the attempts to create a market economy and democratic political system.

	Unit Outline Russia

	Outline 1) Leadership transitions 2) Thinking about Russia a) Diversity b) Poverty c) The Environment d) Key Questions i) Will Putin, et al. be able to strengthen and stabilize the Russian state? ii) Are democratization and legitimization possible? iii) Will economic troubles doom political reform? iv) How will global forces — especially economic ones — shape a new Russia? 3) The Evolution of the Russian State a) The Broad Sweep of Russian History b) The wrong revolution: Russia was not what Marx predicted because of i) backwardness ii) failed reform iii) the weak state iv) Lenin and revolution c) Stalin, Terror, and the Modernization of the Soviet Union d) Industrialization e) Foreign Policy f) The Purges g) Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and the politics of decline 4) The Soviet State and Its Collapse: The Gorbachev Years a) The Party-state b) Reform i) Glasnost ii) Democratization iii) Peristroika iv) Foreign policy c) Crisis and collapse 5) Birth Pangs 6) Political Culture and Participation d) Political culture e) Political Parties and elections i) elections ii) parties today (1) Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) (2) Unity (3) Yaboloko (4) Union of Right Forces (5) Fatherland-All Russia (6) Liberal Democrats iii) balance sheet 7) The Russian State a) A presidential republic b) The Oligarchs c) Parliament d) The bureaucracy e) The judiciary f) Federalism g) The military h) The Bottom Line 8) Public Policy i) The economy j) Foreign policy k) The United States 9) Feedback Commentary Perhaps more than any country describe in this text, individual political figures matter in contemporary Russia. Historically, you can use the names of Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Gorbachev, and Yeltsin to tell the story of modern Russia. There may be more names to take into account than there are for China (Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin), but the Soviet Union had a 30-year head start on Communism in China. The first Key Question in this chapter asks whether President Putin will be able to maintain an effective Russian state. Thus, there's another biography to consider. These biographies ought to be considered in the context of the communist state, in which these men lived most of their lives. Knowing the importance of personal leadership provides some clues about how Russian government and politics work today, but there are other forces at work too. Ethnic politics may often be overshadowed by economic crisis, but seem ready to burst into open conflict in many places. Chechnya is only the most violent example. In addition, Russian nationalism is still a strong force, as is the desire for the custodial aspects of Communism. A second key question asks about the relationship between economic fate and political fate. The transition away from a command economy is a difficult one, and Russia is suffering during the transition. Exacerbating the problems is the role played by the so-called “Russian mafia.” Whether organized criminals are as organized in Russia as in other places, the level of illegal activity appears high, and the links to legitimate business and political activity seem powerful. From the perspective of the Western industrialized democracies, a viable political party system seems to be a key to the success of democratic regimes. The personalized "floating parties" of Russia don't look like the successful systems of the West. However, the stabilizing blocks of public opinion may be precursors to a future, more stable party system. Internal forces are not the only ones at work. If environmentalists are correct, Mother Nature or Gaia is going to come calling on the Russians soon and demand an accounting (if that hasn’t already happened around Chernobyl). The disaster around the Aral Sea may be the next site of nature's "demand for payment." Russia’s neighbors may well be stand-ins for Mother Nature. Norway is already demanding changes in the nickel smelter on its northern border with Russia. If global forces aren’t making environmental demands, they are making economic ones. And those demands will probably require more than cash. They will require more restructuring. Controversy seems to follow most of them, so you will be able to find examples reported in the media regularly. Western cultural influences, from missionaries to New York advertising firms appear everywhere, especially in European Russia. Foreign political and economic advisors, some academics from the U.S. work for government bureaus and politicians. The International Monetary Fund demands market reforms and offers loans to prop up the economy and the government. But, what demands can be met? What demands will be met? Putin's response has been to try to strengthen the state. Critics have argued that he's weakening democracy in the process. It’s a given that popular sentiment was never given much thought in the Soviet Union. The U.S.S.R. has been described as a state without a demand structure in any part of its culture. If that’s true, how will all the nations of Russia respond to the attempts to create a market economy and democratic political system.