The Russian Federation Part 2

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The Russian FederationPart 2
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Elections

• Three types of national votes
• Referendum
• Duma Elections
• Presidential Elections
• Referendum (submission of a law to a direct vote
  of the people) 1993 constitution allows for the
  President to call for a national referenda by
  popular vote on important issues
• Clip art

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Elections

• Duma Elections (1993, 1995, 1999, 2003) 450
  seats- ½ by proportional representation, ½ by
  single-member districts. Parties with a least 5
  of the total vote receive seats according to
  proportional representation. Single member
  district seats are held by local power brokers.
  Elections follow a two-round pattern, top two
  candidates competing in a run-off two weeks after
  the first round
• 2005-The 450 seats in the Duma are assigned
  exclusively from party lists. Putin claimed it
  would strengthen the party system by reducing the
  number of parties in the Duma
• All seats are awarded by proportional
  representation.

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Elections

• The threshold for eligibility to win seats is 7.
  In 2007, 3 parties represented in the previous
  Duma passed this threshold--United Russia, the
  Communist Party and the Liberal Democrats, as did
  Fair Russia. 90 of the vote. At the initiative
  of President Medvedev, in spring 2009 the Duma
  passed an amendment which would allocate 1 seat
  to parties winning between 5 and 6 of the vote,
  and 2 seats to parties winning between 6 and 7 .
  This allocation would occur before distributing
  seats to parties passing the 7 threshold. There
  were no parties winning between 5 and 7 in
  2007.

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Elections

• 3. Presidential Elections Two round model. In
  2000, Putin received 52.94 and in 2004 he won
  71 of the vote so no run-off election was
  required. 2012, Putin took 63.9. Honesty of
  elections? 2001 law restricts small parties from
  running candidates.

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Interest Groups The Oligarchy and The Mafia

• 1991, state-run industries sold to members of the
  Nomenklatura for next to nothing
• Dubbed Oligarchs
• Major influence on policy-making process
• Monopolized industries and built huge fortunes
• Financed the Unity Party
• Putin has resisted oligarchic control

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Mikhail Khordorvsky and Vladimir Gusinsky

• Mikhail Khordorvsky (glasses)
• Controlled largest oil company in Russia
• Richest man in Russia in 2003
• Arrested as a signal from Putin that he was
  consolidating power
• Vladimir Gusinsky
• Television magnate
• Criticized Putins reforms
• Arrested, Exiled and his company was given to a
  state-owned monolopy
• BBC

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The Mafia

• Control Natural resources, local businesses, and
  banks
• Payoffs from businesses (protection money), money
  laundering, and bribes of government officials
• Murdered bankers, journalists, businessmen, and
  members of the Duma
• Both groups represent a threat to the survival of
  Russian democracy
• Mafia is
  Immortal movie poster
• wikipedia

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The Russian Media

• Newspapers and Television stations are privately
  owned
• State controls many of them
• Freedom of the press? Not always clear.
• clip art

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Institutions of Government

• The President
• Appoints the prime minister and cabinet Approval
  by the Duma, but if the Duma rejects the
  presidents nominee three times, the Duma is
  dissolved.
• Issue decrees that have the force of law
• cabinet has a great deal of concentrated,
  centralized power. Duma cannot censure the
  cabinet
• Dissolve the Duma 1993, Yeltsin ordered the
  Duma disolved, they refused (coup), Yeltsin
  opened fire and they gave up
• The Prime Minister Relationship between the two
  executives is unclear
• wikipedia

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A Bicameral Legislature

• Weak check on executive branch
• Duma
• Passes Bills
• Approves the Budget
• Confirms presidents appointments
• Limited power as the president rules by decree-
  difficult to impeach the president
• http//translate.google.com/translate?hlenslru
  uhttp//www.duma.ru/saXoitranslateresnum9c
  tresultprev/search3Fq3DDuma26hl3Den26rlz3
  D1T4TSHA_en___US208

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A Bicameral Legislature

• Federation Council
• Upper House
• Two members 1 elected locally from each of the
  89 local legislatures and 1 appointed by the
  governor.
• May only delay legislation
• May change boundaries of the republics
• Ratify the use of armed forces outside the
  country
• Appoint and remove judges

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The Judiciary

• Constitutional Court
• Independent from the Executive?
• 19 members appointed by the president and
  appointed by the Federation Council
• Supreme Court is the final place to appeal for
  both civil and legal cases
• Most judges and prosecutors trained under Soviet
  system
• Corruption a serious problem Guilty until you
  prove your innocence
• Putin reform movement included codifying law

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The Military

• Shows no signs of becoming a political force
• Suffered Humiliation1988 withdrawal from
  Afghanistan, and in 1994-1996 Chechen guerillas
  beat the Russian forces.
• 18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary
  military service males are registered for the
  draft at 17 years of age 2-year service
  obligation plans call for reduction in mandatory
  service 1 year by 2008 reserve obligation to age
  50 wikipedia

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Public Policy

• The Economy
• How much of the centralized panning economy
  should be eliminated?
• 50 of the economy is dependent upon oil revenues
• How should the market economy be handled?
• Shock Therapy Oligarchs rule
• 1997- defaulted on billions of dollars of
  debt/stock market crashed
• High unemployment
• 2002 30,000 Rubles 1
• 2004 Turnaround 7 growth rate ( oil prices)
• Higher standard of living
• People question current policymakers

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Foreign Policy

• Relations with the near-abroad
• Confederation of Independent states (CIS) unites
  the 15 former republics of the Soviet Union-
  Russia leads (another EU)
• Trade Agreements nationality issues
• Will the Confederation survive?
• 2004 Ukraine (Viktor Yushckenko- poisoned)
• wikipedia

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Relations with the Rest of the World

• Loss of superpower status
• Both Clinton and Bush sponsored economic aid
  packages and foreign investment to Russia
• Welcomed into the G-7, now the G-8
• Russia helped France block UN approval of US
  invasion in Iraq
• WTO member 2012
• Terrorism Beslan school siege