AP Comparative Government

• Pick up the article on your way in. You have 10 minutes to read it and answer the questions.

• SISMUN—– Be here by 8:30, dressed professionally. No jeans– Chairs—8:00– If you are not going, your 2nd position paper is due

at midnight Friday. Email it to me at john.sigren@gmail.com

• Democratic Centralism• Putin• Referendum• Nomenklatura• Civil Society

• Vanguard• Federation Council• Perestroika• Proletariat• Political Socialization

• Lenin• Shock Therapy• Glasnost• Medvedev• Nashi

• Liberal Democrats• Constitution of 1993• Duma• Proportional Representation• Insider Privatization

• Gorbachev• Russian Constitutional Court• 5 Year Plans• Collectivization• Oligarchy

• Bourgeoisie• Runoff election• United Russia• Yeltsin• Soviet Union

Modern Domestic and International Issues in Russia

Population Decline• Russian population is

predicted to drop 18% by 2050

• Reasons: – Economic hardship– Low birth rate (abortion a

factor)– Low life expectancy for

men (only 64 yrs.)• Pro-Natalist Policy--

Government trying to get Russians to return home and have large families

Cleavages—Nationality (Ethnicity)• Most important

cleavage in Russia• Russian Federation is

80% ________– Other 20%--Tatars,

Moldovians, Ukrainians, Chechens, etc.

• Ethnic regions considered independence, but want to maintain economic ties with Russia

• Why Russia is called a federation

Chechnya • Primarily Muslim, has

fought for independence for years

• Led to multiple terrorism acts

• Referendum vote led to new Constitution in Chechnya that gave them more autonomy, but also declared they would stay with Russia

Cleavages—Religion

• Main religion in Russia—Russian Orthodox

• Religion outlawed in the Soviet Union

• Yeltsin and Putin have revived the church

• Muslim minority leads to tension– Moscow and laborers

Punk Prayer - Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!"

Russia's Nationalists March Against Muslims

• “MOSCOW – Making Nazi-like salutes, thousands of Russian ultra-nationalists have marched in Moscow against Muslim migrants and soaring numbers of foreigners in the country, seeing them as a threat to the Russian identity.

• Islam is Russia's second-largest religion representing roughly 15 percent of its 145 million predominantly Orthodox population.

• The Russian Federation is home to some 23 million Muslims in the north of the Caucasus and southern republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan.”

Social Class• Oligarchy vs. poor• Oligarchs a symbol

of insider privatization and corruption

Cleavages—Urban vs. Rural

• Russia is now 73% urban

• Some poverty everywhere, but rural areas are still poorer

• Urban areas more educated and western

International Issues• Loss of global hegemony

after Soviet Union collapse• Not a member of the EU, but

trades heavily with them• Trying to develop close ties to

BRIC countries instead of EU• Joined the World Trade

Organization in 2012 (greater access to global economy, but also had to accept increased regulation)

• Perceived invasion of Ukraine

Ukraine• 4000 dead in

Ukraine• Proposed peace deal

that would grant more autonomy to Eastern Ukrainian provinces now losing support

• Russian troops in Crimea?

• Western sanctions on Russia

Sanctions

• Russia has banned:– European cheese

($1.3 billion)– American chicken

($310 million)– Norwegian seafood

(???)

Review!1. What is a cleavage?2. In your opinion, rank the following social

cleavages/issues from most disruptive to least disruptive in Russia.• Population decline, nationality, Chechnya, religion, social

class urban vs. rural3. In your opinion, rank the following international issues

from most concerning to least concerning for Russia.• Loss of global hegemony, working with BRIC countries,

Ukrainian crisis, economic ties with the EU