Political Insitutions
Is Russia unitary or federal
Federal
Describe the state of media in Russia currently
Media is heavily censored and controlled by the government
Little to no criticism of the government. Some of the media is state owned
Were there an abundance of political reform for the working class, or a lack of?
Lack of- the rich get richer, the poor stay the same.
What is Russia's economy dependent on?
Russia's economy is dependent on the export of oil and natural gas, both of which are under the control of the Russian government.
Who is Russia's current president and what are their powers?
Vladimir Putin
Passes laws
Can appoint and remove all governors
Can change term limits
Commander in chief
Runs the cabinet
Can dissolve the Duma
What are Russian elites?
In the late 90s when Yeltsin became the president, certain industries were privatized, with most being given to Yeltsin’s personal friends, creating the class of ultra-rich oligarchs that exist in Russia today
what is democratization
the transition to a more democratic political regime
Is Russia healthcare free?
What are the consequences to free healthcare?
Healthcare in Russia is free to all residents through a compulsory state health insurance program. However, the public healthcare system has faced much criticism due to poor organizational structure, lack of government funds, outdated medical equipment, and poorly paid staff.
What is Russia's legislature called and what does it consist of?
The 616-member parliament, termed the Federal Assembly, consists of two houses, the 450-member State Duma (the lower house) and the 166-member Federation Council (the upper house).
What is Russia's largest nationality cleavage + name a different one
Largest = Russians
Others can include: Ukrainians, Chuvashes, Bashkirs, Byelorussians, Moldavians
Protests in support of Navalny
Many anti-government demonstrations
Protests against government corruption
Women's rights movements
Yes-
Illiberal Democracy
Controlling media
Rigging votes
Endangering political opponents
Name all of the current parties
United Russia
Communist Party
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
A just russia
The other russia
Yabloko
What is Russia's largest media system, and are they state owned?
Russia TV (Rossiya) covers 98.5% of the country's territory and is state- owned
What was the Russian revolution of 1917?
The peasants and working class people overthrew the imperial government due to corruption and placed the Bolsheviks in power.
Is wealth inequality a prominent issue in Russia?
Wealth inequality is common - The richest 10 percent of Russia’s population control three-fourths of wealth. This raises flags for a country with a rising poverty rate.
Electoral systems/elections
Mixed voting system in Russia. For the Duma, half of the representatives (225) are elected by majority voting; the other half is elected by proportional representation
What is the Putilov Strike of 1917?
When citizens of Russia protests to demand an end to Russian food shortages, the end of World War I and the end of autocracy. (They protested for higher wages). A massacre occurred when they were tried to be stopped, thus increasing its popularity and eventual effect.
How did Boris Yeltsin try to democratize Russia?
There was a trend moving towards democratization under Boris Yeltsin where he introduced shock therapy to Russia. He had reforms such as glasnost which permitted for more open discussion of economic issues, democratization which allowed for more democracy through a directly elected congress and congress elected President, and Perestroika, a reform which transferred many economic powers of the central government to private interests and the market economy.
What is Russia's view on immigrants?
Very supportive because it might boost fertility rate, something that has been on a decline in modern Russia.