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Presentation Outline. Sovereignty, Authority and Power state, nations, and regimes Sovereignty Sources of legitimacy Political culture. I. a) state, nations, and regimes. The Russian state was established in the 1200s Russia is the world’s largest state in total area.

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Presentation Outline

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  1. Presentation Outline • Sovereignty, Authority and Power • state, nations, and regimes • Sovereignty • Sources of legitimacy • Political culture

  2. I. a) state, nations, and regimes • The Russian state was established in the 1200s • Russia is the world’s largest state in total area. • Historically, its dimensions have expanded through conquest and contracted on account of defeats, concessions, and regimes changes

  3. Territorial Evolution of the Russian State

  4. Russia since 1991

  5. What do you notice from these two maps?

  6. Regimes There are three distinct regime periods in modern Russian history • Tsarist rule, 1600s-1917 • Communist rule, 1917-1991 • Democratic rule since 1991

  7. Nations Russia is a multi-ethnic state with dozens of different nationalities Nationalities as a percentage of total population: Russian- 79.8% Tatar- 3.8% Ukrainian- 2% Bashkir- 1.2% Chuvash- 1.1% Other- 12.1% Source: CIA Factbook (Russia) 2012

  8. I. b) Sovereignty • Power is concentrated in the Kremlin, Russia`s equivalent of the White House • Although the Duma has considerable lawmaking powers, the President wields an enormous amount of influence and power (we will revisit this in the section on political institutions) • Russia is considered a strong state, conceding very little if any sovereignty to supranational organizations or NGOs • However, Russia’s recent accession (2011) to the WTO has meant that it is subject to WTO trade regulations

  9. Russian hegemony Russia exerts a great deal of influence over other states: • as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council • as the economic, military, and political leader of the Commonwealth of Independent States • as one of the world`s largest oil and gas producers

  10. Russia is a leading supplier of natural gas Europeans are dependent on Russian gas to heat their homes during the winter. This gives Russia enormous economic and political leverage.

  11. Russian oil • Although not a member of OPEC, Russia is the second biggest exporter of crude oil and thus has considerable influence over the supply and price of oil

  12. Russian Federalism Russia has 83 federal subjects or sub-units Russia is a federal state. Review: What is the difference between a unitary and federal state?

  13. Federal Districts Russia has 8 Federal Districts (created in 2000), each with a presidentially appointed envoy or Plenipotentiary Representative, charged with the task of ensuring that all the republics, krais, and oblasts comply with federal laws. Why is Russia said to be a very centralized federal state How does this differ from strong federal states such as Canada, the USA, and Germany

  14. I. c) Sources of Legitimacy 1) 1993 democratic constitution which was approved in a state-wide referendum • established semi-presidential system • direct elections for the Duma and Presidency • established the Constitutional Court 2) Charismatic personality of Vladimir Putin • Credited with providing economic and political stability • Large following and popularity

  15. I. d) Political Culture • History of authoritarianism • Friction between Western modernizers and Slavophiles • Widespread belief that citizens have little influence over policy (apathy) • Growing acceptance of the current regime • Disappointment with the results of democratization and market reforms • Materialist culture

  16. Source: http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/10/19/russians-to-democracy-good-riddance/

  17. Source: http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/10/19/russians-to-democracy-good-riddance/

  18. Political Culture of apathy http://www.russiavotes.org/duma/duma_vote_trends.php#008

  19. Materialist Values • Decades of Soviet rule which banned official religious practices secularized a previously very traditional culture • People in Russia, similar to those in other ex-communist states, tend to prioritize economic security over post-materialist concerns such as health, or the environment.

  20. Discussion Questions • Compare and Contrast Russian federalism with British devolution. • To what extent does Russia’s political culture influence and shape its democracy? • Why is Russia considered a strong state but the U.K. is not? • Does Russia’s current regime have enough legitimacy to survive?

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