1. Political Regime
Russia

2. What are the institutions of Russian politics?
intro
What are the institutions of Russian politics?

3. Constitution
Russia

4. This allowed Yeltsin to write a new constitution ratified in 1993.
Russia
Constitution
Constitution
The Soviet state dissolved but elements of the old regime were still in power.
Yeltsin battled with the existing parliament, which was made up of the Congress of People’s Deputies and the Supreme Soviet, packed with former Communist Party members
The parliament was so hostile to Yeltsin it tried to impeach him twice.
Yeltsin dissolved the parliament in response. They resisted, but the military sided with Yeltsin.
This allowed Yeltsin to write a new constitution ratified in 1993.

5. Russia Constitution Constitution Preamble – states purpose of govt.
Ch 5 – The Federal Assembly
Ch 1 – Sets up basic govt. structure.
Ch 6 – The Government
Ch 2 – Outlines civil rights & freedoms
Ch 7 – Judiciary
Ch 3 – Federal structure
Ch 8 – Local Government
Ch 4 – Presidency
Ch 9 – Amendments

6. The Kremlin
Russia

7. Russia Kremlin Kremlin
Russians have referred to executive power as the Kremlin, from tsar to USSR and currently.
The fortified complex in the middle of Moscow has historically been the seat of power for the government.
Some Russians reject this idea that foreigners were responsible for the beginnings of Russia

8. Russia Presidency Presidency
Presidency set up by the 1993 constitution is able to press for change even with parliamentary opposition
The president is the head of state.
Has an overwhelming amount of executive power, despite sharing executive power with the prime ministers
Since 2012, the president is elected for a six year term
President is directly elected.
Cannot serve more than two consecutive terms and can only be removed through impeachment.

9. Russia Presidency Forming a Government
President chooses and dismisses the prime minister
The president alone choses and dismisses members of the cabinet
The Duma may reject the nominee for PM, but if they reject the nominee 3 times, he dissolves the Duma and there are new elections.
The president appoints the leaders of the 7 federal districts, allowing him to oversee the work of all local authorities

10. President can propose and veto bills
Russia
Presidency
Law Making
President can propose and veto bills
Can issue decrees – which are laws that do not require legislative approval.
Has direct control over the Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and Interior Ministry, and over all armed forces.
He also controls the FSB (Federal Security Service) which is the successor to the KGB

11. Russia Presidency Checks
Impeachment can only take place on the charge of high treason
Impeachment must first be approved by the high court.
If courts approve, two thirds of both houses must vote to remove the president.
There are very few, if any real, checks on the powers of the president.

12. Russia Prime Minister Prime Minister They are the head of government
Main role is to supervise the ministries that aren’t directly controlled by the president
They can propose legislation to the Duma that meets the president’s
policy goals
Because he’s selected by the president, he has necessary ties to the parties in parliament.
Putin has chosen career bureaucrats who were loyal over legislators who rose through the ranks of parliament.

13. President/Prime Minister
Russia
President/Prime Minister
Putin
Putin made it clear he expected to be chosen as PM in return for his selection of Dimitry Medvedev
Putin continued to dominate politics from the weaker office.
Medvedev’s decision to step down after 1 term shows power is vested in the individual more than a particular office.
Putin has personal authority that has surpassed institutional authority

14. Legislature
Russia

15. Bicameral Federal Assembly was created by the 1993 Constitution.
Russia
Federal Assembly
Legislature
Under Soviet rule, legislature was basically just a rubber stamp for the party leader.
Only met a few days a year to officially pass laws written by party leaders
Today, the legislature has little influence over what the government does.
Bicameral Federal Assembly was created by the 1993 Constitution.

16. Russia Federal Assembly State Duma
The lower house, made up of 450 seats.
It is the more powerful of the two houses.
Members serve 5 year terms.
Can initiate and reject legislation.
Can override a veto by the president with a two/thirds majority
Under Yeltsin, most law came from the Duma, instead of the president.

17. Russia Federal Assembly Duma & the PM
They approve the PM appointment, but if they reject it three times, the legislature will be dissolved and there will be new elections
Can call a vote of no confidence in the PM, but the president can ignore it.
If they have 2 votes of no confidence within 3 months, the president has to get rid of the PM or call for new Duma elections
Their checks on PM can lead to elections that make the opposition party stronger or it could backfire and make the president stronger.

18. United Russia has 340 of the seats (78%)
Federal Assembly
Duma today
Their powers are more theoretical now, because the Duma has been dominated by a single party loyal to Putin.
United Russia has 340 of the seats (78%)
It rubber stamped the extension of the president’s term in as little as 10 days. They don’t see themselves as a check.

19. Russia Federal Assembly Federal Council Upper house, with 166 seats.
Has even less power than the Duma
It represents local interests. All 83 federal administrative units have 2 seats
One representative is chosen by the governor of each region and the other by the legislature of each region
It has to approve bills about certain issues, like taxes & budget
If it rejects legislation the Duma passed, they either compromise or Duma can override them with two thirds vote

20. Russia Federal Assembly Federal Council - Checks
Also has the power to impeach the president
They approve or reject appointments to the Constitutional Court, declarations of war, declarations of martial law, or international treaties.
In 2014, they passed legislation that gave the president the ability to appoint up to 10% of the members of the Council.

21. Judiciary
Russia

22. Russia Judiciary Under Soviet Rule
Russia has struggled to establish the rule of law dating back to the tsar.
Under Soviet rule, the legal system was a means of blocking opposition to the Communist Party
The party represented the true expression of the people’s will, so it could not be accused of unconstitutional acts.
There was no constitutional court.
The secret police force maintained their own courts and jails

23. Russia Judiciary Challenges
In post communist Russia, it has still been difficult to establish the rule of law
An explosion of govt corruption has occurred since 1991.
Organized crime remains a serious problem and the public lacks trust in law enforcement agencies of the state
Legal codes are not respected
The state uses the court system to settle political vendettas
Transparency International ranks Russia 136 out of 175 in corruption

24. Russia Judiciary Constitutional Courts
The Constitutional Courts was set up as part of Gorbachev’s reforms.
It has 19 members that are appointed by the president
They have to be approved by the Federal Council.
They serve life terms, but their terms have been changed often in last 20 years.
It has the power to rule on international treaties, battles between govt branches, violations of civil rights, and the impeachment of the president.

25. Constitutional Courts
Russia
Judiciary
Constitutional Courts
They have abstract review, meaning they can rule on issues without a specific case being brought to court.
They also have concrete review, meaning they review issues based on specific cases.
They do not have the power of last court of criminal case appeals. That is the Supreme Court.

26. Elections
Russia

27. Russia Election System President
Structure of elections has changed dramatically since 2000.
President of Russia was made a directly elected office before USSR dissolved.
They took place every 4 years starting in 1996 for Yeltsin’s reelection
If no candidate wins a majority, there is a runoff of the top two candidates
The president is limited to two consecutive terms

28. Candidates must be nominated by a party represented in the Duma
Russia
Election System
Nomination
Candidates must be nominated by a party represented in the Duma
If they are independent, they need to collect 2 million signatures to be on the ballot, which eliminates most.

29. Russia Election System Duma
At first was all SMD, but that was changed in the 1993 constitution
They had a system where half the seats are from single member plurality voting, and half are elected in multi member districts that use proportional representation
In 2007 Putin had all Duma seats elected under PR, and a party must earn 7% of the vote to get seats in the Duma
The 2016 election returned to a mixed system.

30. Local Governments
Russia

31. Russia Subnational Units Subnational Units 21 or 22 republics
46 oblasts or provinces
9 krays or territories
4 autonomous okrugs or districts
2 federal cities – Moscow & St Petersburg

32. Russia Subnational Units Asymmetric Federalism
Power is devolved unequally across the country
Republics tend to represent non-Russian ethnic groups and have greater rights to make their own constitution or set an official language different from Russian
Mayors of large cities are directly elected.

33. Putin annulled agreements between the central & local governments.
Russia
Subnational Units
Under Putin
Putin annulled agreements between the central & local governments.
Regions were forced to revise their laws to bring them in accordance with the Putin administration
In 2000, the central government created 8 federal districts that encompass all of Russia, each one led by a person appointed by the president.
Regional governors and heads of local Dumas are banned from serving in the Federal Council

34. Russia Subnational Units Under Putin
All local governors became directly appointed by the president in 2004
In 2012, Medvedev restored direct elections of those positions.
The frequent changes have hurt federalism in Russia, the people don’t know what to expect.
Regional governments are viewed as a potential threat by Putin and his allies, so their powers have been curtailed.

35. Keep knowledge here.
Russia

36. Main Ideas Russia Putin’s Pointers! Presidential dominance
Duma elections
Federal Council
Putin’s Pointers!
Limits on subnational governments.