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Politics in Russia Difficult transition from communism Largest country in the world Russian population • 142,893,540 (July 2006 estimate) – comparison • larger than that of Japan (127 million) • smaller than that of US (296 million) • 82% Russian – largest minority: Tatars 4% • 72% Orthodox – largest minority: Muslim 6% Legacies of the tsarist era • A millennium of autocratic rule – hereditary monarchy – not constrained by a constitution Legacies of the tsarist era • need of governing a vast territory – modernization of military & economic potential – growth of state power – mobilization and unity to defend country – national feeling based on pride • in the greatness of the country • in the strength of its people Russian Revolution of 1917 • • • • Tsarist regime fell during World War I Bolshevik revolution in October 1917 Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870 - 1924) Communist Party of the Soviet Union – controlled all levels of govt. – nomenklatura • party state Soviet Union (USSR) • Joseph Stalin – totalitarian regime – centralized political power – industrial and military might • staggering human cost – collectivization – purges – World War II Stalin’s legacies • • • • rule of personalities (versus rule of law) succession crisis (versus regular elections) reliance on military and police bureaucratic distortions, resistance, and inertia • de-stalinization (1950s & 1960s) – collective leadership – deteriorating economic conditions Gorbachev • General Secretary of CPSU (85-91) – glasnost: openness in political relations – improve economic well-being – contested elections – law-governed state – private enterprises – informal social associations – concessions to US – revolutions in East Europe in 1989 Collapse of the Soviet Union • Unintended consequence of Gorbachev’s reforms – communist party rule broke down in the 15 soviet republics • ascendance of Boris Yeltsin in elections – elected Russian president in 1991 (57% vote) – outlawed the Communist Party of Soviet Uni. • Gorbachev resigned as president Yeltsin as president (1991-1999) • Yeltsin demanded extraordinary powers from parliament to cope with the country’s economic problems – power to carry out a program of radical market-oriented reform by presidential decree – named himself acting prime minister – young, Western-oriented government leaders – determined to carry out decisive transformation Reformers versus opponents • Economic reforms took effect in 1992 – prices skyrocketed (inflation rate 2323%) • political opposition to reform policies • developments in 1993 – Yeltsin dissolved parliament – bombed the parliament – parliamentary election – constitutional referendum The Yeltsin Constitution of 1993 • Yeltsin called a “presidential republic” • President – is directly elected by voters – can dissolve parliament – can issue decrees presidential power • • • • head of state “guarantor of the constitution” appoint government choice of prime minister is subject to the approval of parliament • after three refusals to confirm president’s choice, president dissolves State Duma The Parliament • Federal Assembly • lower house – State Duma • upper house – Federation Council The Parliament • submission of draft legislation to State Duma – by government – by president – or by members of the Federal Assembly • individually or collectively Federation Council • Every constituent unit of the federation is represented by 2 representatives • populations of small ethnic-national territories are greatly over-represented • after Putin’s reform in 2000, each governor and each regional legislature is to name a representative to the Federation Council • after 1996, all governors are elected Legislative process • State Duma => Federation Council => President • if Federation Council rejects a bill – State Duma may override (by 2/3 vote), or – bicameral conciliation commission • if president rejects a bill – State Duma may override (by 2/3 vote), or – bicameral conciliation commission Limit on presidential power • President can not dissolve parliament – within one year of parliamentary election – if the parliament has filed impeachment against president – if president has declared state of emergency – within 6 months of expiration of president’s term Limit on presidential power • Impeachment of president – 2/3 majority in State Duma – affirmation by the Supreme Court – rule by the Constitutional Court – 2/3 majority in Federation Council Constitutional Court • judicial review by the Constitutional Court • 19 members are – nominated by the president – confirmed by the Federation Council Constitutional Court • empowered to consider the constitutionality of actions of – the president – the parliament – lower level government • ruled on relations – between the 2 chambers – between central and local governments Russia’s GDP growth rate (%) 6 4 2 0 -2 -4 -6 -8 -10 -12 -14 -16 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2002 Decline and recovery (GDP) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2002