1) Absolutism

2) Patrimonialism

3) Caesaropapism

Priests

Intellectuals

1) Alienation of Elites

2) Revolt by Peasants and Nationalities

3) Devestation of WWII

1) Party: Control

2) Bureaucracy: Implemented

3) 'State': Legitimacy

-Communist party of the Soviet Union

- Constitutional monopoly

- Closed decision making process

full time party worker/bureaucrat

'man of the apparatus'

The State:

Rubber Stamp Parliament with 2 Functions

1) External and internal legitimacy

2) Token representation for 'Nationalities'

(Ruling Mechanisms in SU)

control of all social spheres

(Ruling Mechanisms in SU)

party ownership of all modes of communication

1) Lack of incentive

2) Overcentralization

3) Warped/Inefficient invested allocation

1) Predominance of personalism

2) Overwhelming influence of Putin in the current 'diarchy' renders formal structures irrelevant

3) Disconnect between 'de jure' and 'de facto' institutions permeates systems

1) Subordination of Courts

2) Nearly impossible impeachment

Autocracy II

Characteristics of Parties of Power

1) Lack of ideological foundation

2) Absence of organization

3) Complete dependance on state/leader

Autocracy III

Control over the States

1) Creation of seven new federal 'super districts'

2) Reform of the Federation Council (Upper House)

3) New Presidential power to appoint and dismiss governors and to dissolve regional assemblies

Autocracy IV

Controlled bureaucracy through Presidential Administration

2,000 person agency that exists solely to serve the President

checks and monitors the enforcement of federal laws

Autocracy V

Control over Civil Society

public chamber

sharp reductions on non-Government organizations (NGO)

NGO

Non-Government Organizations

Autocracy VI

Control over "Power Agencies"

All report to President directly

all ministries relating to national security

FSB, Foreign Minister, Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry (border police)

1) Renewed alliance with orthodox church

2) Power circle is both tight and narrow (Spies)

1) Crony capitalization

2) State ownership of 'strategic' sectors

1) Control of media

2) 'Potemkin parties'

3) Hard line against dissent from left to right

4) Putin's youth 'movement'

Russian seat of power

similar to the White House

Imperialism and Nationalism

Recent Conflicts

1) Conflict with Georgia

2) Opposition to NATO expansion

3) Olympic firings and dented national pride

Electoral Systems: PR

Changes to Electoral System

1) Switch to pure PR elections from single nationwide constituency for Duma

2) Governors of regions no long directly elected, appointed by President

3) Raised threshold for getting seats from 5% to 7% of total national vote

1) 'Party of Power'-United Russia

2) Communists

3) Pro-Democratic Reformists-Yabtoko and Union of Rightist Forces

4) Extreme Right Nationalists- Liberal Democratic Party

1) Multipolar vs. Unipolar power distribution

2) Robust vs. Facade electoral competition

3) Fairly low vs. Very high use of coercion

1) Failure of economic reforms

2) Massive increase in corruption and crime

3) Center- Periphery crisis

1) Institutionalization

2) Rule of Law

1) Balance incentives and sanctions, systems will balance

2) If significant balance between the 2 occurs, instability and even breakdowns occur

Strengths:

focus on non-institutional factors

emphasis on non-rational sources of stability

Weaknesses:

can't account for rapid change

can be manipulated by elites and political leaders

Pluralism and Collectivism

Picture

1st   Individual-->Society     2nd 

 Society-->Individual      

1) Natural inequality

2) Strong, authoritarian leadership

1) Ethono-nationalists- Separatists, Irredentists

2) Islamic Extremists- Caliphate

3) Inter-confessional/ Inter-ethnic conflict

want to break away from existing state and form new independent country