RUSSIA HYBRID / DUAL STATE

BRAINSTORM TIME

• List all of the reforms made during Putin’s time (2000 to the present) that centralized / consolidated his power.

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

• I. Executive Branch• 1.) Who is the Head of State? • 2.) Term of Office?• 3.) How does one get this job?• 4.) What are his appointment powers?• 5.) What is meant by his Informal Decree

Power?• 6.) Powers over the Legislative Branch?

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

• I. Executive Branch –• 7.) Head of Government?• 8.) How does one get this job?• 9.) Term of Office?• 10.) Role / Function?• 11.) What is the CEC?• 12.) “Power Ministries”?• 13.) What is the Public Chamber?

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

• II. Legislative Branch –• 1.) How is it organized?• 2.) What is Legislative Branch called?• 3.) what is the Upper House called?• 4.) Membership / how does one get on?• 5.) What is its role? • 6.) What is the UK institution equivalent?

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

• II. Legislative Branch –• 7.) What is the name of the lower house?• 8.) Membership – Seats and elections?• 9.) Role / Function / Powers?• 10.) Checks on the Executive?• 11.) UK equivalent?

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

• III. Judicial Branch• 1.) Highest Court?• 2.) Role of that court?• 3.) Process of becoming a judge?• 4.) Term of Office?• 5.) Judicial Review? Constitutional Review? • 6.) Role of the Supreme Court?• 7.) Issues?

RUSSIA’S DUAL (HYBRID) STATE

• 1. What type / form of government exists in Russia today?

RUSSIA’S DUAL (HYBRID) STATE

• 1. Democracy – Liberal or Procedural or Illiberal• 2. Constitutional or Authoritarian State or

Tandemocracy• 3. Federal or Unitary or Asymmetric

Federalism• 4. Do not forget that Parallel Universes

Exist in Russia.

PARACONSTITUTIONALISM

• 1. The RF has a Constitution which enhances the legitimacy of the state.• 2. But you also have an organization

within the state that exercises power arbitrarily without constraint alongside the Constitutional State. • PARALLEL UNIVERSES

PARACONSTITUTIONALISM

• 3. The Dual Russian State • Putin’s Commitment to modernizing

Russia and to the letter of the Constitution (evidenced by his stepping down as President after 2 terms in 2008) AGAINST Putin’s Commitment to governing according to Russian Traditions (strong authoritarian rulers)

PARACONSTITUTIONALISM

• Why is the Russian political system like a

PARACONSTITUTIONALISM

• Tandemocracy – The name given to the power sharing arrangement from 2008-2012 between Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin • PARALLEL UNIVERSES!

Type of Organization

• 1. Is Russia a Parliamentary or Presidential System?

• Neither – It may be called a Semi-Presidential System.

• A form of government in which the head of state / president is more than a figurehead but is ultimately subordinate to the Parliament.

Type of Organization

• 1. Is Russia a Parliamentary or Presidential System?

• Neither – It can be called a Semi-Presidential System.

• According to the Constitution, the President appoints the PM but the Duma gets to approve his choice.

• It seems as if the Legislature has the final say???

Type of Organization

• 1. In reality, Russia is a SuperExecutive System because:

• If the Duma votes 3x to refuse a presidential PM appointment, the President can dissolve the Duma.

• Subordinate that Mr. Duma!• PARALLEL UNIVERSES!

Type of Organization

• 1. Super Executive / Super Presidential System:

• Huge executive branch with strong powers• President in control of policy-making• Impeachment potential but almost impossible• Little oversight by the Legislative and Judicial

Branches• PARALLEL UNIVERSES!

PARALLEL LEGISLATURESSTATE DUMA PUBLIC CHAMBER

Primary legislative Authority Created by Putin in 2005Members are from the Business, Educational, Religious and Social communityAll members are chosen by President PutinRole – Forum for policy discussion PC controls government funding for Interest Groups

FEDERATION COUNCIL STATE COUNCIL

Set out in the constitution to represent the 89 sub-regional governments of the RF

Created by Putin in 2000Putin reorganized the federal system to go from 89 sub-regional entities to 7 Super Districts with Governors appointed by Putin Role – To oversee that the regions where upholding the Constitution

PARALLEL JUDICIALJudiciary - Putin made changes to make it more independent by increasing qualifications to be a judge along with increased salary

BUT Judges are appointed under the control of the President so not truly independent. In addition, the Constitution creates a process for judicial review but no law or decision of the Putin administration has ever been overturned.

RULE OF LAW – Putin made changes to improve the rule of law.Made the courts and lawyers more accessible and accountable to the people

Police now have to get warrants Defendants have access to more jury trials now

BUT it is a Potemkin Village.The Constitution has a BUT clause for state security and stability.There is Telephone Justice – Just phone in the evidence to get a warrant or a conviction.The FSB has gotten acquittals reversed, denies people jury trials, and has gone after defense attorneys.1/5th of Human Rights cases are from Russia.

DUAL ELECTORAL SYSTEMS FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS DOMINANT POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEM

Yes they exist in RussiaUniversal Suffrage at the age of 18Citizens get to elect their head of state (president), their legislature (the State Duma), and their local legislatures and Mayors

No – Not free and fair because the Central Election Commission controls who gets on the ballot and rules block opposition parties and there is a dominant political party that dominates all federal and local elections.There was a loyal majority as of 2000 and a loyal supermajority from 2003 to 2012. United Russia dominates Putin changed the electoral rules to eliminate regional powersPutin took direct control of the Federation Council

RUSSIAN FEDERALISM FEDERAL SYSTEM ASYMMETRIC FEDERALISM

As per the RF Constitution:There are 89 sub-regional governments within the RF with numerous names and descriptions.The people of each region originally chose their governors and their mayors and their local legislatures.

IT WAS CHAOTIC AND CONTROVERSIAL FROM THE START

Putin by decree now gets to appoint the 89 governors.By decree, Putin can dissolve a sub-regional legislature if it is acting contrary to the RF Constitution as per the President.By decree, Putin created 7 Super Districts to oversee the 89 Sub-regional districts. Putin gets to appoint the Super-Governors whose role is to oversee the local governments to ensure that they comply with the Constitution.

United Russia is the dominant party and Putin made electoral changes to do away with FPTP and replace it with PR elections.

RUSSIAN FEDERALISM

• It is Fake Federalism or Asymmetric Federalism • What? It is found in a federal system in which

different constituent states possess different powers: one or more of the substates have considerably more autonomy than the other substates, although they have the same constitutional status. The division of powers between substates is not symmetric.

DUAL / PARALLEL MEDIALIBERAL DEMOCRACY ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY

As per the RF Constitution, there is a freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble and to voice your opinion

There are small independent audience media proliferating: print dailies and weeklies, smaller TV stations, blogs, etc.

The Constitution “BUT” Clause

Putin by decree banned meetings in public places for political purposes in groups of more than 3 or 4.

Government takeover of the national TV and radio through GAZPROM

No live political talk shows or political satire

Biased coverage of terrorism and Chechnya

Mysterious contract killings of journalists

OLIGARCHS V SILOVIKI

• 1. Oligarchs – term that refers to the former Soviet leaders who took advantage of the Shock Therapy under Gorbi and Yeltsin to gain controlling interests in major businesses and industries in the new Russia and great wealth.

• Boris Berezovsky (RIP 2013)• Alexander Litvinenko (RIP 2006 polonium-210)• Mikhail Khodorkovsky (Yukos oil), arrested in 2003,

and sentenced to 9 years, which was subsequently extended to 14 years.

OLIGARCHS V SILOVIKI

• 1. Oligarchs – They rose up under Yeltsin and supported his presidency of Russia

• However, Putin saw / sees them as a threat to his power or to the security of Russia. As a result, Putin attempted to retake their controlling interests and wealth if he perceived them as an opposition to his power.

OLIGARCHS V SILOVIKI

• 2. Siloviki – In Russia, the members of the security services (KGB – now FSB), police and armed forces in high ranking positions in the top institutions today who worked with Vladimir Putin the past.

• These Siloviki hold positions of great power and work with Putin to create a stronger Russia.

OLIGARCHS V SILOVIKI

• 2. Siloviki – SERGEY IVANOV – Worked with Putin in the FSB, then appointed to be Defense Minister in 2000, and now is Deputy PM.

OLIGARCHS V SILOVIKI

• 2. Siloviki – NIKOLAY PATRUSHEV• Worked with Putin in the KGB and then the FSB• Now he is the head of the FSB as well as the Chief of the Security Council

OLIGARCHS V SILOVIKI

• 2. Siloviki – IGOR SECHIN• From 2000-2008 he was DeputyHead of Presidential Administration• 2008-13 he was Deputy PM under Putin as well as oversaw Russian oil And natural gas industries• Also Chairman of ROSNEFT – one Of Russia’s largest oil companies

DUAL STATE / HYBRID STATE

• 1. On one hand, Putin has remained true to the Constitution.

• 2. On the other hand, he has also tried to remain true to the Russian tradition of strong, authoritarian leaders driving Russia to be a dominant world power again.

• 3. His goal has and will remain to modernize the Russian economy and to protect Russia from terrorism and to protect the security of Russia.

APPROVAL POLLS

APPROVAL POLLS

• More Opinion Polls• http://

www.russiavotes.org/national_issues/national_issues_politics_in_store.php#533

• What is a Pussy Riot?• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5

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