Structure of Gov

1
Russia Institutions of Government

• Structure of Govt
• President Prime Minister
• Legislature
• Judiciary and Rule of Law
• The Military

2
Political Institutions

• Russian regime history is highly authoritarian
• Reforms in early 1990s are experimental and yet
  to be determined successful or not
• Current political parties, elections and
  institutions are fluid, and likely to continually
  change over course of coming decade

3
Federal Govt Structure

• 89 Regions
• 21 are ethnically non-Russian by majority
• Each region is bound to the Federation by a
  treaty
• Chechnya has yet to sign a treaty with Federal
  govt
• Most regions are called Republics and many
  ruled themselves almost independently during
  Yeltsin period
• Many saw the former Eastern Bloc Republics as a
  role model (Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia, etc...)
• Chechnyas bid for independence and war
  illustrates this sentiment
• Some regions are stronger, more independent of
  the Federation power has devolved unequally
  (asymmetric Federalism)

4
Russian Political Regions
5
New Measures under Putins Govt

• Putin cracked down on regional autonomy, even
  increasing army activity in Chechnya
• Creation of Super Districts (2000)
• Seven new Federal Districts were created
• Each District headed by Presidential appointee,
  supervised local authorities
• Removal of Governors
• President is given authority to remove a governor
  who refuses to subject local law to the National
  Constitution
• Appointments of Governors (2004)
• To centralize power, Putin ended popular election
  of local Governors
• Regional Governors would be nominated by Russian
  President
• Changes in Federal Council
• Elimination of Single-Member-Districts (2005)
• Putin eliminated single-member-districts from
  being elected to Duma
• Proportional representation eliminated regionally
  popular candidates

6
Institutions of Government

• The current structure of govt was put in place
  by Constitution of 1993
• It takes from both a Presidential and
  Parliamentary system
• Ultimately, more power rests in hands of
  President than Legislative branch
• Executive Branch has extended its power during
  Putins administration

7
The President Prime Minister

• President Head of State (far more ceremonial)
• Prime Minister Head of Govt
• Constitution set up to allow greater authority by
  President, but since 2008 that relationship is
  changing (Putin as PM)
• Russians directly elect a president for a 4-year
  term, limit of two terms
• Political parties are fluid so anyone with 1
  million signatures can run for office
• By 2000 and 2004 (and 2008) Putin and (Medvedev)
  won without a second-round vote

8
Prime Ministers are not appointed because they
are leaders of majority party, but selected
because of loyalty to President
Presidents Powers

• Dissolve the Duma
• 1993 Yeltsin ordered the old Russian Parliament
  dissolved
• Conservatives staged a coup, refused to leave
• Yeltsin ordered the army to fire on the
  Parliament building
• The image of chaos stayed with Yeltsin during his
  rule over Russia

• Appoint the Prime Minister and Cabinet
• Duma must approve PMs appointment
• If Duma rejects nominee 3-times, President can
  dissolve Duma

• Issue Decrees that have Force of Law
• Presidents cabinet has concentrated, centralized
  power
• According to Constitution, Duma has no real power
  to censure Cabinet
• Putin created the state-owned United Aircraft
  Corporation by decree

Tanks roll in- Coup
Fall of Communism Part I
Gorbachev Resigns
1993 Coup
9
Bicameral Legislature

• Duma- Lower House
• 450 deputies, selected by proportional
  representation
• Duma passes bills, approves a budget, confirms
  presidential appointments
• Most legislation originates with President and/or
  Prime Minister
• Duma debates the bills though, that must pass
  before they become law

• Federation Council- Upper House
• 2 members from 89 federal administrative units
• Since 2002 one member selected by Governor of
  region, the other by regional legislature
• The Council represents regions, not particular
  population
• The Council can delay legislation, but Duma can
  override Council with 2/3 vote
• On Paper ratify use of armed forces outside of
  borders, appoint and remove judges

10
The Judiciary and Rule of Law

• No independent judiciary existed during old
  Soviet Regime (courts were pawns of Communist
  Party)
• Constitution of 1993 created a Constitutional
  Court
• 19 members appointed by president, confirmed by
  Federation Council
• Under Putin, the Court did well not to contradict
  Putin
• Constitution created a Supreme Court to serve as
  final appeal in criminal cases
• Supreme Court has no power to challenge the
  constitutionality of laws and/or other actions by
  legislators and executive bodies
• Years of Communist trained lawyers and judges
  makes for a difficult transition innocent until
  proven guilty is not quite reality
• State police still allowed to act independently
  from law (act autonomously) and corruption blocks
  progressive efforts
• KGB is defunct, but its functions post-1991 are
  split among several agencies
• Federal Security Service main domestic security
  agency
• Not one member or collaborator of Soviet-era
  security agencies has been prosecuted for human
  rights violations

11
The Military

• Army was critical source of Soviet strength and
  intimidation from 1945-1991
• Armed forces, in its hay-day stood at 4 million
  men
• Military didnt take lead in politics, nor did it
  challenge the Politburo
• Army under Russian Federation is strong, but
  without the zeal of Soviet-era intimidation
• Too many officers are underpaid and soldiers go
  for months without proper payments
• Most politicians have been civilians so idea of
  military coup doesnt seem plausible any time
  soon
• Putin declared in 2007 Russian Air Force would
  begin regular, long-range patrols by nuke-capable
  bombers
• Some see this as a means for Russia to
  re-establish itself internationally again
• Invasion of Georgia in 2008 was successful, and
  pundits argue those soldiers appeared better
  trained than the soldiers who failed in Chechnya
  back in 1994
• Information about Russian invasion of Georgia

12
Discussion Questions

• Compare and evaluate the system of checks and
  balances between the executive and the
  legislative branches of government in the United
  States and Russia.
• Why is it so important to have a constitution and
  insure the primacy of law under conditions of
  change?