The nation of
RUSSIA
TODAY
Comparative Government
Presentation
By Brian Godfrey
Understanding Geography
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Largest Country on Earth.
Many different ethnicities.
Russian Federation = regional/state powers.
Very few warm water ports. Especially
during winter, ice makes navigation difficult or
impossible. Historically, Russia has aimed to
conquer countries that have blocked Russian
access to the sea.
Many natural resources- including oil, gas, and
timber.
Geography Continued…
Political Map & Neighboring Countries
Ethnicities – Russia and Surrounding Areas
Understanding Oil and Gas - The EU imports almost half of
its natural gas and 30% of its oil from Russia.
Legitimacy
Historically, based on strong autocratic
rule (tsars all the way to dictators)
 Under communist rule, MarxismLeninism provided the legitimacy base
for the party, with its ideology of
democratic centralism- rule by few for the
benefit of many
 Today, the Constitution of 1993 represents
a Western-style system of legitimacy
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Historical Influences on Political
Traditions
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Absolute, Centralized Rule- From tsars to
Soviets. Necessary to protect against Huns, Vikings,
Mongols.
Extensive cultural heterogeneity-changing
border in a vast area=many ethnicities.
Slavophile v. Westernizer- “lover of Slavs.”
Distinctly different culture from that of mainly
Western Europe.
Revoultions of the 20th century- Lenin’s
Bolsheviks seized power in 1917 and communism
begins. In 1991, U.S.S.R. dissolves in a second
revolution, and democracy begins.
Political Culture
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Russia’s political culture has been shaped by its
geographic setting, cultural orientation, and
confliction attitudes toward the state.
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Geographic Setting
Eastern Orthodoxy
Equality of Result (contrasted to Equality of
Opportunity)
Skepticism about Power
Importance of Nationality
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Also Lack of Democratic Values, Generational Issues,
And not a lot of experience with democracy
Russian Federation- 1991-Present
The Constitution of 1993 created a 3-branch
Gov’t, with a President, Prime Minister, lower
legislature called the Duma, and a
Constitutional Court.
 Yeltsin, the first President of Russia, brought
about reforms, but was somewhat ineffective
due to conflicts with the Duma, alcoholism, and
persistent illness. He resigned before the 2000
election, making then-Prime Minister Vladmir
Putin the new President.
Putin Continued…
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VLADMIR PUTIN
Many believe he has retreated significantly from the
commitments that Yeltsin made for a democratic
system.
 Resigned as President at the end of 2nd term, but by
remaining as Prime Minister, there is little doubt he
still controls considerable influence in Russia.
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Dmitri Medvedev- President 2008 - Present
United Russia Party
 Won with more than 70% of the vote in
2008, as did Putin in 2004.
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Cleavages
Nationality: 80% are
Russians- Also
Tatars, Ukrainians,
Armenians,
Chuvashes, Bashkis,
Byelorussians,
Moldavians.
Consequently, Russia has “autonomous regions”
whose borders are based on ethnicity.
 The region of Chechnya, primarily Muslim, has
fought for years for freedom.
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Cleavages Cont.
Religion
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Tsarist Russia all ‘Russian Orthodox’
U.S.S.R. prohibited religious practices
Yeltsin encouraged reestablishment of Russian
Orthodox Church
Today, very few citizens attend Russian
Orthodox services—a legacy of Soviet Rule.
No clear conflict between religious v.
nonreligious today
Also Catholics, Jews, Protestants
Rapid rise in Islam!
Cleavages Cont.
Social Class
Classes Substantially destroyed during
Soviet Era
 There was formerly a cleavage between
communist party members and nonmembers.
 Russia is still today more egalitarian
 Today, a new socio-economic class of
entrepreneurs is developing: newly
wealthy Russians.
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Cleavages Cont.
Rural / Urban conflict
About 73% of all Russians live in cities
 City dwellers more likely to be educated
and in touch with western culture, and
generally are better off financially
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BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES
Mistrust of Government- Low levels of
participation in interest groups, unions, etc.!
Although there is a high level of approval for Putin,
most Russian officials have considerably low
popularity.
 Statism- Russian citizens still expect the state to
take an active role in their lives.
 Economic beliefs- Most Russians support
economic reform. However, the divide between
rapid / significant privatization and reform is wide.
 Westernization- Divided concept. Some favor
nationalism and a conservative state, while others
favor reform and “Westernization” (integration into
int’l world & trade).
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Political Participation
During Soviet Era: voting near 100%
because it was forced.
 With 2008 economic crisis: there is much
dissatisfaction with current gov’t (as in the
U.S.)
 Since 1991 voter turnout rates in Russia
have been higher than the United States!
 Turnout in presidential election of 2008
was almost 70%.
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Civil Society
Other than voting, political participation is
low.
 Relatively undeveloped civil society
 Only about 1% report belonging to a party.
Few attend church, clubs, charitable org’s,
etc.
 Since Gorbachev’s glasnost, civil society has
been allowed to emerge, albeit slowly.
 Soviets used state corporatist approach.
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Political Institutions
Current parties, elections, and institutions of
gov’t are all new, fluid, and likely to change.
(Russia only since 1990’s!) Though gov’t and
politics are beginning to settle in.
 Russia is a Federation with strong central power
 89 Regions, 21 are ethnically non-Russian by
majority
 Some regions are much stronger than others, so
power is devolved unequally across the country,
a condition called asymmetric federalism.
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Parties
United Russia (pro-Putin)
 The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF)
 Liberal Democrats
 Fair Russia
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Yabloko (reformist)
 Union of Right Forces (reformist)
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Duma Elections of 2007…
Duma Legislature Elections of 2007
United Russia- 315 Seats, 70% of seats.
 Communist Party- 57 Seats, 12.7% of
seats.
 Liberal Dems- 40 Seats, 8.9%
 Fair Russia- 38 Seats, 8.4%
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All other parties- 0 Seats
Elections
Referendum
 Duma Elections
 Presidential Elections
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Interest Groups & State Corporatism
Much of Russia’s megawealthy control the
country, they are the Oligarchy. Through
various means they control/own media
outlets, newspapers, politicians, etc. They
have considerable influence in Russian
policymaking.
 Putin has resisted the Oligarchy
somewhat: in 2003 Mikhail Khodorvsky,
the richest man in Russia, CEO of Yukos
Oil Company, was arrested.
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Continued on next slide…
Interest Groups & State Corporatism
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Medvedev was Chairman of Gazprom (natural
gas) before President of Russia. Gazprom is
mostly controlled by Russian Gov’t.
Under Putin’s leadership state corporatism has
become well established.
State-owned automobile, aircraft, shipbuilding,
nuclear power, diamonds, and other industries
Either gov’t controlled companies or Putin-loyal
companies are the beneficiaries- This is an
arrangement known as insider privatization.
Russian Mafia = large and in charge!
The President and Prime Minister
Head of State (Prez) Head of Gov’t (PM)
 While Putin President, the position became
substantially more dominant.
 Now that Putin is PM, the relationship is
changing again.
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Continued…
President has the Power to:
 Appoint the Prime Minister and cabinet
 Issue decrees that have the force of law
 Dissolve the Duma
VERY STRONG EXECUTIVE
Legislature
Weak check on Executive Power
 Lower house, Duma – 450 by proportional
representation. Very weak body.
 Upper house, Federation Council – 2
members of each of 89 federal units (like
our Senate) mainly has the power to delay
legislation.
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Judiciary
Constitutional Court
 19 Members, appointed by President
 Didn’t cross Putin
 Many attorneys were trained under Soviet
rule, meaning a lack of expertise makes
carrying out the responsibilities of
Constitution difficult
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Economy
Issue: how much of the centralized planning
economy should be eliminated, and how should
the market economy be handled?
 Between 1997 and 2007 Russian economy
steadily improved, but suffered when oil prices
plummeted in 2008.
 Today Russia’s economy fueled by its huge oil
and gas reserves, by mostly state run/owned
corporations.
 Medvedev is aiming to diversify economy and
improve infrastructure, innovation, investment,
etc.
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THE END