The Russian Federation

Sovereignty, Authority, and Power

Presentation Outline

I. Sovereignty, Authority and Power

a) State, nations, and regimesb) Sovereigntyc) Sources of legitimacyd) 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.• Historically, its dimensions have expanded

through conquest and contracted on account of defeats, concessions, and regimes changes

Territorial Evolution of the Russian State

Russia since 1991

What do you notice from these two maps?

Regimes

There are three distinct regime periods in modern Russian history

1) Tsarist rule, 1600s-1917

2) Communist rule, 1917-1991

3) Democratic rule since 1991

Backed by the people, former Communist party member Boris Yeltsin declares a new democratic Russian republic in 1991.

Regime change- end of Soviet rule

NationsRussia 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

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

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

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.

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

Russian FederalismRussia is a federal state. Review: What is the difference between a unitary and federal state?

21 republics 47 Oblasts 9 Krais 4 Autonomous Krais

2 Federal Cities

•Nominally autonomous

•Most major nations have their own republics

•Have their own constitutions, control over education and language

•Elected legislature

•Locally elected Governor

•Equivalent of a province

•Elected legislature

•Locally elected Governor

•Also includes autonomous Jewish oblast in the Far-East

•Equivalent of a territory

•Elected legislature

•Locally electedGovernor

•Located in frontier regions

•Same as Krais but with more significant ethnic minority populations

•Major cities of Moscow and St.Petersburg function as regions with an elected legislature and locally elected mayor

Russia has 83 federal subjects or sub-units

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Russian_Regions-EN.svg

Federal DistrictsRussia 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

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

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

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

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

Political Culture of apathy

http://www.russiavotes.org/duma/duma_vote_trends.php#008

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.

Discussion Questions

1) Compare and Contrast Russian federalism with British devolution.

2) To what extent does Russia’s political culture influence and shape its democracy?

3) Why is Russia considered a strong state but the U.K. is not?

4) Does Russia’s current regime have enough legitimacy to survive?