Russia A Study of Its Government, People, and Economy By: Aaron, Andy, and Kyle.

RussiaA Study of Its Government, People, and Economy

By: Aaron, Andy, and Kyle

Historical Perspective

Russia has been under authoritative rule for most of its history

Early monarchs followed by the rule of the czars led the Russian people to embrace that style

The Czars

As a country ruled by the czars, Russia enjoyed some degree of stability, although a new leader meant a new regime

The people as a whole were very poor and had little means of resisting their rulers

Foundation for the Future

When the czarist regime finally fell, it gave way to Lenin and the Marxists

This philosophy took hold easily with the repressed working class of Russia

The people responded well to a strong leader

WWII and its Influence

With Stalin in power, the second World War was a lightning rod for Russian nationalism

Instilled a sense of pride that persists even in todays Duma

Solidified the power of the Communist government and consolidated the Soviet Union

The Economy Although Russia's market system was purely

socialistic, the nation became an economic superpower

Under Stalin, Russia became highly industrialized Competition with the United States drove

development of new technologies

Russia Under the Communists

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The Military and Secret Police Russia became a major military superpower, and

many of its generals became extremely influential in Russian society

The KGB kept a close eye on both the Russian people and Americans, and the secret police had a very tight grip on society

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The People and their Freedoms Under communism, personal freedoms took a

backseat; the state was always the most important Liberties enjoyed by Western democracies were not

shared by the Russian people, but due to propaganda, fear, and a history of obedience, the people didn't rise up

Communism's Effect on Today

Society in Russia is still built on the notion that Russia should be a superpower and the U.S. is a grave danger

The people still tend to favor a strong leader, as long as he is in the best interests of Russia

Old institutions like the military and secret police have eroded, but corruption is still rampant

Old Soviet Republics also tend to be problematic for Russian foreign policy

Rise of Vladimir Putin

Putin's rise to power can be directly linked to the societal upheaval following the fall of the USSR

Weak leadership and a floundering economy left an opening for the then unknown Putin

He promised stability and a stronger state, and he delivered

President Putin and the Current Russian Government

Putin turned Russia again towards an executive run nation

His own party, United Russia, was formed to help ensure his policies would pass through the Duma

Formed a strong hold on two of three branches of government

Putin's Policies

A major problem in Russia was the power of the oligarchs

The political elite in Russia siphoned off huge sums of money, and coupled with corruption, crippled the Russian people economically

In order to regain some Russia's lost lands, Putin took major military action against Chechnya, a breakaway Islamic republic in the south

With a puppet leader in place, Putin claimed a victory for Russia and began forming his image as a decisive leader

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Realizing Russia's major energy potential, Putin has taken large steps towards increasing the nation's oil production

Putin has also begun rearming the country's military to Soviet Union levels in an attempt to reestablish the nation as a superpower

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Putin looks down on “blocs” of countries such as NATO; much of Russia finds the organization to be either useless or a threat to the country's influence

As a UN Security Council member, Putin has attempted to block many actions that he feels would limit Russian power or increase that of the US

The Effects of Putin's Rule

As a foreign power, Russia has become much more influential, particularly with China and the Middle East

Due to its economic potential and military might, Russia cannot be ignored

While the people have noticed limited freedoms, their standard of living is still better than before, and therefore resistance is unlikely

Sovereignty and Authority

The issue of who has the right to rule in Russia has a history of being questioned

Under the czars and communists, strong authoritarian figures subjected the people to their will, yet differing factions continuously fought for control

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In today's society, the oligarchs, people, and government all have differing opinions on the optimal use of power

With Russia, power is generally concentrated in the hands of whoever fights hardest to gain it; historically, the people have rarely fought for power, and therefore it is maintained by the government

The Maintenance of Power

Like a typical federal system, Russia operates as the people wish; representatives are elected popularly, as is the president

Standard taxes and tariffs help maintain the nation's economy, and the government generally provides for the people

Authority is centered strongly in the executive, who makes decisions for “the good of Russia”

Legitimacy in Russia

For any strong state to survive, the nation's people must trust that those in power has the right to rule over them

Russia is a federal system operating under a constitution that was written after the fall of the Soviet Union

The Russian Constitution

The new constitution maintained many of the same rules that existed under Soviet rule, suggesting that the Russian people are not fond of change

It did establish a three branch federal system that would promote a democratic style of government and ensure the rights of the people would be protected

Formal Institutions in Russia

Russia has a constitution establishing 3 branches of government

Russia is a federal system, and power is split up among local divisions

There are many political parties in Russia, indicating a wide selection for citizens

The executive branch Russia has a president, who is the chief executive

and holds power similar to the United States' president

He shares some degree of power with a prime minister

The president is elected by the public, and cannot serve more than 2 consecutive terms in office

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The legislative branch Russia has a legislative body known as the Duma The majority party in the Duma selects a Prime

Minister who acts as the head of government Elections are held and representatives are elected by

the people

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The judicial branch Similar to the United States, Russia has a federal

court system, but it is much weaker Still maintains the Soviet Judicial Legacy; the court

system is an arm of the government and essentially does the bidding of those in power

Judicial review is present, but the court rarely overturns laws, and if so, they are rarely enforced by the government

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Politics in Russia

Russia has multiple political parties, although only a few are consistently represented in the Duma

Most ideologies are represented, although some more often than others

United Russia: the vehicle of Putin's ideology Communist Party: leftist party, remnant of the

Soviets Liberal Democratic Party: supports the working-

class, very nationalistic Motherland-People's Patriotic Union: in favor of

democracy and morality to form a stronger state Union of Right Forces: Pro-market, pro-democratic

reforms

The Parties

Political Culture in Russia

Political culture in any country hinges on the core values of the nation's people

As a whole, citizens in Russia tend to support a strong leader, which is a remnant of Soviet style governance

Any leader who proposes a stronger Russian state is favored, hence the majority of political parties do not favor democratic/free-market reform

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In comparison to American politics, Russian politics are much more cut-throat

It is socially acceptable to run a slander campaign, so long as the party in power doesn't feel violated

The bitter fight stems from the supreme power that a leader will temporarily wield if elected

Influence of the Media on Politics

The media helps the spread of ideas, such as Western values and images of globilization; in this sense, the media can be a tool of democracy

Unfortunately for Russia, major steps have been taken to limit the press

Essentially an arm of the government, any media outlet that defaces the rulers is generally stifled or destroyed entirely

Russian government to a large degree is based on reactions to the varying interest groups

Oligarchs and the political elite wield a huge amount of power, and the government must choose to crack down on them or give in to their lobbying

Interest Groups and Outside Forces

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Corruption, particularly among the police, plays a huge role in Russian society

Culture has been developed, both by corruption and the Soviet bureaucracy, to view government as something to be avoided rather than followed

Although great power is placed in the executive, at local levels the government is largely ignored

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Like many other nations in the world, Russia has to deal with terrorism on the home front

Particularly so after the invasion of Chechnya, when Islamic terrorism escalated rapidly

Public policy, particularly in the south, is greatly shaped by reactions to growing terrorism threats

Execution of Public Policy in Russia

The engine of change in Russian society is very slow moving, and the nation as a whole does not respond well to instant change

Although changes in government have been gradual, some leaders may take decisive action to maintain power and execute their policy objectives

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Stalin and the communist dictators rarely considered public policy, because it was whatever they decided it was that day

Today, Putin must to a degree follow the whims of the people, and the legislative branch does react to changes in public opinion

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Putin's decisive actions as an executive have reconsolidated power, and the public generally approves

The public policy mechanism is essentially carried out by Putin alone and enforced by the rest of the government

Yet in a similar fashion to all of Russian history, the public allows the executive to take a strong role in the formulation of policy

Current Policy Issues

Economic Russia struggles to regain its economic power from its

old Soviet days Major energy exporter Economy has been centralized to a degree by Putin Standards of living have improved with the

introduction of free-market reforms, but progress is slow

Social In comparison with their former situation, most

citizens in Russia have more freedoms and live better under democracy

Corruption and the income gap still persist, which essentially undermines any effort by the government

People are free to participate in politics, yet many outsiders worry that representation in Russia is to some degree fixed

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Globalism and Foreign Policy Although the Cold war is over, tensions between

Russia and the U.S. are still present, yet Russia also faces threats from China, India, and the Arab nations

Despite the efforts of the government, Western culture has invaded Russia, and the democratic thought processes will continue to shape policy

The economy has become much more linked to the world's economy, and Russia must consider the reactions of rival nations to any bold policy change

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Involvement with large economic organizations to a degree limits what Russia can do, but as the world economy evolves so must Russia

Organizations such as NATO continue to be a sore spot for Russia, and many citizens feel as if the world is under the thumb of the U.S.

Belligerence on the part of Putin is frowned upon by the rest of the world, but within Russia the public seems to feel more comfortable with a strong executive in charge

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Russia, the Revolutionary?

Revolution and social change in Russia have always been slow moving, since the time of the czars to the current pseudo-democracy

As a whole, the people of Russia will accept authoritarianism, as shown by decades of communism

Historically, the people have reacted slowly to change, and they rarely rise up in revolt

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Democratization has been moderately successful following the Soviet Union's fall

People enjoy greater power and influence, coupled with a capitalistic economy

Unfortunately, they have not demanded the necessary change for Russia to become a true democracy, and their overall change has only been a partial transition from authoritarianism

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As Russia continues to develop, the people remain happy because their lot has improved

Unfortunately for the West, globalization and the spread of democracy has not pierced Russia as hoped, yet this should not be surprising considering the nation's history

The Future for Russia

As a growing force on the global level, Russia will now take a broader role in shaping policy for all nations

Because it shares a border with so many crucial nations, Russian diplomacy will likely help to barter agreements between hostile nations

Although the Cold War is over, Russia remains a counterbalance to the U.S.'s power

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Under the rule of leaders like Vladimir Putin, Russia will likely reinvent itself as a superpower and reestablish itself both militarily and economically on the world stage

Hopes for a stable world future will hinge on the decisions of the increasingly powerful country with a history of nationalism and authoritarianism.....

Afraid yet?

The End