Concept -The influence of Communism

Countries:RussiaChina

Introductory Concepts

1) COMMUNISM

2) MARXISM

3) SOCIALISM

4) COMMAND ECONOMY

5) MARKET ECONOMY

6) AUTHORITARIAN

Communist countries have what in common?

(1) One party systems (Communist Party)- Nomenklatura- Party dominates all areas of society

- political control- economic control- social control

(2) Command economy (define/describe)(3) Democratic Centralism (define/describe)(4) Totalitarianism (define/describe)

-Cult of personality

INSTITUTIONS OF COMMUNIST STATES

Nomenklatura

P o lit ib u ro(S im ila r to P a rla im e n t)

(C a lle d th e D um a in R u ss ia )

S e c re ta ria t(S im ila r to B u re au c ra c y)

(C a lle d C e n tra l C o m m itte e in C h in a)

G e n e ra l S ec re ta ry(S im ila r to P rim e M in is te r)

Russia

Russia – core content

Russian Key Concepts• Russia was once part of the Soviet Union, the largest collection of

communist states. • Russia’s communist past has had an enormous impact on

governing today.• Russia under Boris Yeltsin attempted rapid democratic reforms

that have had a lasting impact• Russia has a mixed presidential parliamentary system.• The Russian political system today lacks legitimacy• Vladimir Putin initiated many policies that centralized power• The future of Russian democracy is uncertain and it appears to be

moving away from democracy and toward “soft authoritarianism”

RussiaRegime Changes• Monarchy

• Communist

• Democracy

• Illiberal Democracyhttp://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/courses/teachers_corner/32074.html

Russia’s Past

• Post-Communist state: only the communist party ran the government ( 5% of the pop.)

• Communism is known as democratic centralism…debate was tolerated among the party elite…citizens lacked basic freedom of speech

• The Politburo was the top decision making body• The Secretariat was the government executive branch

that carried out policy• Candidates for governing position had to be on theNomenklatura…list of officially sanctioned names

Russia’s Past cont.

• Under communism, they had a command economy– Government control over all aspects of the

economy– Five-year-plans– Control of prices and wages

Strong military and a world power

Russia• Political change – Democratization

– Glasnost: openness under Gorbachev

• Economic Change– Perestroika: restructuring which led

to privatization of many government owned ent.– Shock therapy: rapid privatization of the economy, under Boris Yeltsin

Led to a new Constitution in 1992-93• Film PBS: Privatization in Russia

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/lo/

RussiaThe new Constitution http://confinder.richmond.edu/How adopted?Level of legitimacy?

Government Structure under new ConstitutionMixed Presidential / Parliamentary System

- Why?- What are key features?- Impact of Communism

Dual Executive – President / Prime MinisterBicameral - Duma/Federation CouncilJudiciary

The Russian Constitution• Provides for a national direct election for the president

based on a 2-ballot system• An absolute majority is needed ( run-off is not)• Two-house legislature• Upper house represents sub-national govt• Lower house represents the general population• Leg. Operates under Parliamentary rule• Leg has irregular scheduled elections• Prime Minister is selected by the president from the

majority party and must be approved by the Leg

Cont.

• If Leg does not approve the PM, then the President may dissolve the Duma and call for new elections.

• President has broad power to select the PM• President selects cabinet members from the

Leg– They must resign their seat if appointed

RussiaMultiparty System• Duma is elected proportionally with 7% minimum winning threshold• Divan parties• Communist• Unity• Fair Russia• Our Home is Russia• Yabloko• National Front

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_legislative_election,_2007

Russian Political Parties

• Communist Party emerged with a new platform – favored a slow approach to econ

• Union of Right Forces – pro-market approach• Liberal Democrats – more radical nationalist

party• Unity Party – ( Putin) gained power, used state

resources to advertise, has dominated recent politics in Russia…Communist party still wins Duma seats

More on Russia• Federalism

• Russia is a federal system that is becoming more centralized

• The United Kingdom is a unitary system that is becoming more decentralized

Yeltsin II• Poor president• Hires and fires numerous

prime ministers• Alcoholic & frequently ill; this

leads to erratic political behavior

• Resigns before the 2000 elections

• Vladimir Putin, Yeltsin’s prime minister, takes over and wins the 2000 & 2004 elections

Russia under the Presidency of Vladimir Putin Debate

Vladimir Putin - Public Policy Changes Made Under his Presidency

Putin’s Russia: His Impact

• Putin is a former member of the KGB ( secret police)• Elected to 2 terms as President, then picked to be the

PM immediately after Medvedev won the Pres

• Putin’s Changes:– Changed the way the upper house of the Leg was selected,

now they are appointed by the Pres.– Governors can be dismissed by the Pres for corruption– Duma: now there is strict PR – 7% threshold to obtain

seats

Cont.

• Putin directed the government to purchase most of the media outlets. ( supposed to be priv. owned)

• The Pres can flood the media with positive messages about his policies and the Unity Party

• Putin restricted civil liberties:– Difficult to obtain permits to demonstrate– NGOs have been banished– Opposition has been silenced– Independent journalists have vanished

Changes made to nature of Federalism

• Federation Council – were once directly elected, now selected by President

• Governors – power to fire governors (directly elected) for corruption

• Establishment of Seven “Super Regions” (bureaucracy – heads of which are accountable to President)

• Tax Reform – requires more equitable payment to central government for regions; 13% flat tax

Changes Made to Political Party System

• Russia began with “Divan” parties = fractured multiparty system

• Putin created “Unity Party “• Putin arranged “Fair Russia” Party –

opposition party• Instituted all Proportional Representation• Raised minimum winning threshold from 5%

to 7%

Chechnya

Chechnya

• Used the state police to respond to terrorist activities (theater, school)

• Held referenda on Chechen independence in 2003 (failed)

Chechnya Under Putin

• Chechen independence activists became violent

• Putin used military to suppress the revolt and later held a referendum on Chechen ind.– The vote failed….why? Putin controlled all media

Misc.• Suspension of NGOs and stricter review of

foreigners conducting business in Russia• Strong commitment to market – privatization of

land, foreign investment, member of the G-8, overseen prolonged economic growth

• HIGH approval ratings – 80%• Has hand picked “Medvedev” to be successor, plans

to run for Prime Minister• Change to Presidential Term Length – 6yrs• http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/russia70

3/video/video_index.html

III. Legitimacy• Political legitimacy for Russia is currently very low, partly

because changes are a drastic departure from the past• Recent evidence that country began to stabilize under Putin.• Putin has used authoritarian strategies to solidify Russia’s

weak, illiberal democracy.• Historically Russia’s political legitimacy has been based on

strong, centralized, autocratic rule– Tsars– Communist rule propagated by Marxism-Leninism

• Democratic-Centralism: rule by a few for the benefit of the many

– Stalinism changed the regime to totalitarianism• Constitution of 1993 – provided for a strong president,

although power of the president can technically be checked by popular elections and the Duma

Is Vladimir Putin’s leadershipgood for Russia?

Russia

•Illiberal democracy or

•Creeping ( soft ) authoritarianism?