Politics%20in%20Russia

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Politics in Russia

• Political Parties and Elections

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Important political change

• Democratization of political system
• introduction of competitive elections
• shift from a single-party system to a multiparty
  system

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Transformation of party system

• Communist Party of Soviet Union used to dominate
  state and social institutions
• no competition for political office
• no mechanism to ensure accountability
• party authority couldnt be openly questioned
• confusing array of political organizations have
  run candidates in elections since 93

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New political parties

• government efforts at tightening the conditions
  for party formation and registration
• effect on small parties
• effect on party coalitions
• suppress democratic representation?
• bring order to a chaotic and fragmented party
  structure?

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Russian political parties

• generally form around a prominent individual
• are generally associated with prominent political
  figures
• increased political fragmentation
• do not have a firm social base or stable
  constituency
• a major cleavage economic policy

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4 main categories of parties

• reformist parties
• democracy and market
• centrist parties
• parties of power
• communist parties
• Communist Party of the Russian Federation
• nationalist parties
• Liberal Democratic Party of Russia

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Reformist parties

• liberal democracy
• dismantle political framework of socialism
• guarantee individual freedom
• rule of law
• market economy
• open and free market
• property rights
• Union of Right Forces and Yabloko

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Communist Party of the R.F.
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Communist Party of the R.F.

• Major successor party to the CPSU
• oppose radical market reforms
• oppose privatization programs
• oppose Western influence
• most party-like of all parties
• substantial organizational base
• well-defined electoral following
• large (but old) membership ( 500,000)

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Communist Party of the R.F.

• CPRF
• rather stable electoral share
• but unlikely to win parliamentary majority or
  presidency
• CPRF leader Zyuganov
• 1996 and 2000 presidential elections

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Yeltsin campaign in 1996

• Public opinion polls
• 24 supported Zyuganov
• 8 supported Yeltsin

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Economic reforms

• Macro-economic stabilization
• structural adjustment
• cut state spending
• increase taxation
• end price controls
• open trade
• shock therapy
• all shock but no therapy
• Privatization

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Centrist parties a paradox

• Surveys indicate that voters would favor policies
  and values at the political center
• e.g. social democratic party
• but no one has succeeded in creating a major,
  lasting centrist party
• social welfare state
• political freedoms
• private property rights

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Centrist parties of power

• Our Home is Russia (1995 - )
• pro-government
• centrist
• moderately reformist
• then Prime Minister headed it
• never succeeded in defining a clear program
• became a coalition of officeholders

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Unity (United Russia)

• Formed 3 months before 1999 election
• active assistance from
• then President Yeltsin
• then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
• received 23.3 of the vote in 1999

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Power transition in 1999-2000

• State Duma tried to impeach President Yeltsin but
  didnt gather enough votes
• Yeltsin announced that he would resign
• Presidential election
• 2000-03-06
• Vladimir Putin

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parties of power

• Parties depend on official support
• avoid building independent bases of
  organizational support
• policy positions are vague
• vanish when the major sponsors lose power
• Unity would disintegrate if President Putin were
  to lose power or popular support

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Social bases of party support
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Electoral rules for State Duma

• Similar to Germanys hybrid system
• each voter has 2 votes
• 1 for a candidate for that districts seat
• 1 for a registered party on the party list
• half of Duma (225 seats) elected from
  single-member districts
• half of Duma (225 seats) selected by parties
  according to vote share (gt 5)

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1999 State Duma election
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Pro-government majority

• President Putin and his government could
  generally count on majority support
• pro-government deputies depend on the Kremlin for
  political support
• little effect on the makeup of government
• administrators with no partisan affiliation
• almost none were drawn from parliament

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Putin and Stability

• Popular and effective politician
• Has strengthened institutions despite lingering
  social economic problems
• Has built up the power of the Kremlin and other
  parts of the central government
• Has undermined aspects of democracy
• without removing basic freedoms or eliminating
  competitive elections.

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