Matthew Kearney

James O’Connor

APPS

5/1/14

Russia Handout

Russian Government:
Executive:

 Dual executive. President Vladimir Putin, PM Dmitry Medvedev

 President directly elected, head of state.
 Prime Minister appointed by President, lead of legislature.

Legislative:

 Bicameral
 Upper House (Federation Council) appointed by heads of regional executive organs
 Lower House (State Duma) directly elected, national proportional representation 450 deputies
 Proposal and approval of legislation, approval of presidential appointees

Judicial:
 Independent constitutional court 19 justices
 Appointed by President, approved Federation Council, 12 year term

Federal System:

 83 different sub governments

Power Vertical:

 Coined by Putin
 Hierarchy of executive power ranging from national level to local
 Allows Putin to have control of sub governments and their leaders

Russian Economy
Economy History:
 State was once heavily involved. Strong executive ran economy.
 Yeltsin and market reform 1992
 o Life price controls
o Encouraging small private businesses and entrepreneurs
o Privatizing most state owned enterprises
o Opening the economy to international influences
Global Influence:

 Oil export main source of income

 Putin’s influence on foreign policy indirectly influences Russia economy and its oil export
 Oil export is state owned
 Good example of how Putin’s foreign policy changes Russia economy
o Ukraine: US puts sanction on Russia economy for Putin’s behavior: poor economic status
for Russia

History and Culture:

 The Czars of Russia ruled for generations; the Romanovs were famous for their powerful
family line.
 Nicholas II lost a lot of the power his predecessors had gained, including the mandatory
creation of the Duma, or parliament.
 The Soviet rule led to massive social and cultural change, and after Lenin allowed for
some of the market economy to return, the economy recovered a little.
 Joseph Stalin put a stop to the economic liberalization, and ran the Soviet Union from
the top down; the government set up collectivized state-run farms.
 He also repressed religion, and the churches were shut down, many of the cultural
masterpieces burnt to the ground.
 All opposition was purged from the party, he was practically unopposed and he ruled
with an iron fist.
 Because of the repression, the people feared for their lives if they spoke out against the
government.
 Stalin continued his purge as the Cold war began.
 The tyranny of the Stalin era somewhat ended with his death.
 Nikita Khrushchev became the next leader of the Soviet Union, and he let go of many of
Stalin’s repressive policies.
 However, the Communist party began to turn against him, and he was ousted and
replaced by Leonid Brezhnev.
 Brezhnev had a strong foreign policy, but the country’s economy stagnated.
 The next significant leader to take power was Mikhail Gorbachev; he became the
general secretary in 1985.
 Gorbachev led the Soviet Union towards a new openness and restructuring.
 He loosened the grip on the nation in general; both the social arena and the economy
were given new freedoms.
 For the first time in many years the media was free, and so were the people to criticize
the government.
 The government was usually blamed for the issues, and reformers like Boris Yeltsin
emerged.
 Prominent Soviet policies were crumbling, and some democratic reforms entered the
system.
 By 1989 the rebellious culture rippled through the Soviet satellites too, and then the
Berlin Wall fell - one after the other they declared independence.
 In 1990 the Soviet Union itself began falling apart.
 Yeltsin was elected chairman of the Parliament, and the people began turning against
the Communist party.
 Gorbachev was stuck between a rock and a hard place; his party was calling for him to
reinstate strict control, and the people were calling for faster reforms.
 He failed to really take a side, and then he was put under house arrest by the
opposition.
 The coup leaders spread the word that Gorbachev had resigned and that the nation was
in a state of emergency; then they dispatched the military to enforce their new
government.
 The Military units were met with massive crowds of protesters, led by Yeltsin; he then
gave his famous speech on top of a tank.
 The coup collapsed three days later, and Gorbachev had his job back, but that job lost all
of its power, so he resigned.
 The Soviet Union dissolved and was replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent
states (CIS).
 Then in 1993 the Russians ratified their new Constitution, which highlights the powers
of the executive.
 After Yeltsin resigned, Putin took power (Collapse of the Soviet Union).
 The collapse of the Soviet Union was one of the most important events of the twentieth
century.
 It marked a turning point for them and the world as well.
 This new federation is trying to find its way, but the most recent government policies
are concerning.