russia: political institutions
DESCRIPTION
Russia: Political Institutions. Surabi Kondapaka Period 7. Current System. Legislature. Executive. Judiciary. Federation Council. President. Constitutional Court. Chairman of Gov’t (Premier). State Duma. Supreme Court. Supreme Court of Arbitration. Deputy Chairman. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Russia: Political InstitutionsSurabi KondapakaPeriod 7
Current SystemLegislature Executive Judiciary
Federation Council
State Duma
President
Chairman of Gov’t (Premier)
The Ministries
Deputy Chairman
Supreme Court of
Arbitration
Supreme Court
Constitutional Court
Prosecutor General
President• Head of State• Vladimir Vladmirovich Putin• 2 consecutive 6-year terms
• Appoints Prime Minister and Cabinet▫ Must be approved by Duma
• Leads “Power Ministries” ▫ Military, police, KGB
• Can introduce martial law• Can veto legislation• Can dissolve Duma and call new elections
▫ Yeltsin attempted to do so by force
Prime Minister• Chairman of Government• Dmitry Medvedev
• Appointed by President• Runs “day-to-day” activities
• Can be removed by a vote of no confidence by the Duma
• Submits Annual Budget
• Putin expanded PM powers in 2008
Judiciary• Judges appointed by President, approved by
Federation Council• Have Judicial Review
• Putin advocated law reform, but issues still exist:▫Corruption▫Questionable judicial
independence
Judiciary• Constitutional Court
▫High Court – addresses Constitutional Complaints
▫19 members• Supreme Court
▫Highest appeals court▫Final court in criminal and civil cases▫115 members
• Supreme Court of Arbitration▫Final court for commercial disputes▫53 members
Districts• 8 super districts• 89 “federal subjects”
▫21 “Republics”▫Each signed the
Federation Treaty Except Chechnya
• Relative autonomy under Yeltsin, but Putin cracked down
Name of District
Central Federal District
Southern Federal District
Northwestern Federal District
Far Eastern Federal District
Siberian Federal District
Ural Federal District
Volga Federal District
North Caucasian Federal District
Federalism• Constitutionally “federal system” – but highly
centralized
• “Asymmetric Federalism”▫ Presidential Nomination of Governors (Approved by
Legislature)▫ Presidential Removal of Governors▫ Creation of Super-districts
“Super-governors” appointed by President▫ Governors appoint Federation Council Members▫ Elimination of Single Member Districts
Duma has proportional representation
Legislature•Bicameral Legislature
▫Federation Council – “Upper House”▫Duma – “Lower House”
•Known collectively as the Federation Assembly
Federation Council• “Upper House”• Equal Representation: 2 members from 89
regions▫One elected from the provincial legislature▫One appointed by provincial governor
(confirmed by legislature)• Powers:
▫ Approve/reject laws (mostly delay legislation)▫Confirm judges▫Ratify treaties▫Approve troop deployment
State Duma• “Lower House” – but more power• 450 reps - proportional
representation from districts
• Powers:▫Pass bills▫Approve Budget▫Impeach President▫Confirm PM appointments▫Vote of Confidence to remove
PM
United Russia (238)
CPRF (92)
A Just Russia (64)
LDPR (56)
Political Parties•1991 – small, factional groups formed•Most formed around specific leaders or
issues▫“Yuri-Boldyrev Movement”▫Yabloko▫Agrarian Party▫Party of Pensioners
•Weak, fluid party power/loyalty▫Over 100 parties in 1993▫Currently 70 registered parties
Political PartiesUnited Russia A Just Russia
CPRF LDPR
Political Parties•United Russia
▫Largest party by far Gains strength from smaller “Pro-Putin”
parties▫Merger of 2 parties: Fatherland All-Russia
and Unity Party▫Formed by Boris Berezovsky to support
Putin in 2000 election▫“Putinism”
Modernization, economic reform
Political Parties• The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF)
▫Doesn’t want to reestablish the old regime, but wants its stability
▫Led by Gennady Zyuganov
▫Stance: Regain old Soviet territory Central planning, nationalization, worker’s rights Willing to preserve small enterprises
▫Appeals to rural population and older citizens▫Recently declining popularity
Political Parties• A Just Russia
▫ Sergei Mironov▫Socialist version of CPRF▫Welfare state, minimize rich-poor gap
• Liberal Democratic Party▫ Vladimir Zhirinovsky▫Extremely controversial party
Nationalistic, sexist, anti-Semitic Promotes nuclear warfare and strict justice Vows to restore old Soviet borders Mixed economy, private ownership
Reformist Parties• Yabloko
▫ Acronym of 3 founders (Yavlinsky, Boldyrev, Lukin) – also means “apple”
▫ Pro-democracy▫ Used to be popular among intellectuals, Gorbachev-
era reformists• Union of Right Forces
▫ “Right” as in “not wrong” (not ideological right)▫ Free Market and privatization of industry
• Republican Party of Russia▫ Against the “Putin regime”
Voting• Referendum – called by President
• Duma Elections – proportional representation▫ 2007 – Putin eliminated single-member districts
• Presidential Elections▫ Direct election▫ Runoff if no candidates win a simple majority▫ Highly suspicious
2000: Putin won by 52.94% 2004: Putin won by 71% 2008: Medvedev won by 71.2% 2012: Putin won by 63.6%
Oligarchy• Wealthy tycoons monopolized industries under
Yeltsin• Boris Berezovsky and 6 others controlled >50% of
Russia’s GNP through oil and media
• Oligarchy survived Yeltsin’s demise - formed United Russia party around Putin
• Once elected, Putin cracked down on oligarchs▫ Exiled Berezovsky, arrested CEO of Yukos Oil
Sent warning to other oligarchs▫ Oligarchs lost political power, Putin lost economic
popularity
Russian Mafia•Larger, perhaps more influential than
oligarchy•Gained control during Revolution of 1991
▫Controlled local business, banks▫Offered “protection money”▫Laundered their own money
•Affiliated with the KGB
State Corporatism• Insider privatization• State determines who has policy-making input• Large, state-owned holding companies
• Government forces large/rich companies to sell• Gov’t controlled industries and Putin loyalists
benefit
Russian Media•Most media is government controlled
▫Channel 1: Public Russian TV•Some privately owned newspapers, TV
stations
•“Freedom of Speech” is questionable▫Anna Politkovskaya criticized policies about
Chechnya- was mysteriously poisoned▫Ivan Safranov – outspoken critic - “fell from
the window of his apartment”
Military• Soviets prioritized military funding• Under Russian Fed, military humiliated
▫Unpaid soldiers▫Withdrawal from Afghanistan (1988)▫Loss to Chechan Guerrillas (1994-96)
• Most political leaders have been civilian, military stays out of politics
• Putin pushing to reassert military power▫2007 – announced Air Force would start
regular, nuclear capable patrols
OverviewPRESIDEN
TConstitution
al Court
Supreme Court
Supreme Court of
ArbitrationRegional
Governors
Prime Minister
Presidential Administratio
n
State Duma
Federation Council
Government
Super-Governors
Regional Legislature
s
VOTERS
Questions?