1. Yeltsin
By Desiree, Annie, Katie, Veronica, Ian, Mariela, Alec, Grayson, and Audrey

2. Who is Yeltsin? First president of the Russian Federation.
Mandated new parliamentary elections and a referendum on a new constitution, which passed by a narrow margin in December 1993.
Radical economic reforms confronted Russians with an increasingly uncertain future marked by declining real wages, high inflation, and rising crime.
Though a Communist Party member for much of his life, he eventually came to believe in both democratic and free market reforms, and played an instrumental role in the collapse of the Soviet Union.

3. Significant economic/public policy developments
Yeltsin established a program of radical economic reforms two months before the official collapse of the Soviet regime.
Laid out a number of measures to achieve stabilization, called for sharp reductions in government spending to reduce government budget deficit, focused on imposing new taxes and controlling inflation.
In January 1992, most prices were liberalized, queues disappeared and goods reappeared in stores.
By mid-1994, almost 70 percent of the Russian economy was in private hands. In 1995, with the help of the International Monetary Fund, Russia stabilized the ruble.
Shock therapy policy and privatization were meant to transit the country to a market economy, but, in the end, left the country running poor.
During his first term, Yeltsin failed to set up coherent and effective decision making process on foreign and security policy
Policy during this time was often marked by improvisation and ad hoc responses
Under his watch, a stock exchange, commodities exchanges and private banks all came into being.
Boris Yeltsin's primary aim in foreign policy, like Mikhail Gorbachev's before him, was to create a non-threatening external environment that would be most conducive to his country's internal economic and political development

4. Why Democracy Failed under Yeltsin
Increased inflation rates and the rising cost of living led many Russians into poverty
His economic plan destroyed the mechanisms of central planning
He did not create a strong foundation for democracy and succumbed to popular belief that he should respect the Soviet Constitution
His decision to appoint Putin as his heir-apparent, led to the failure of democracy
Putin, a secret policeman, had secretly eliminated the democracy Yeltsin had built

5. Timeline
December republics declared independence, Gorbachev resigned and Yeltsin took office.
January Begins to dismantle 75 years of Communist economics by lifting price controls on most goods.
April wins referendum on his rule and reforms
December a new constitution is approved giving Yeltsin sweeping powers and guaranteeing private property, free enterprise and individual rights.
December Suffers political setback when the Communists win parliamentary elections and hold a majority together with other hard-liners

6. TimeLine Continued
February Says he will seek a second term as president, despite his unpopularity. Starts an energetic campaign pitting him and his reforms against the Communist Party leader, who promises to restore the Soviet Union and its policies.
July Wins re-election despite being too ill to show up at his polling station
August Dismisses entire Russian government again amid economic crisis; selects Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov as prime minister.

7. Timeline continued
May Easily survives an impeachment vote in the lower house of parliament.
May Fires Primakov's government; appoints Interior Minister Sergei Stepashin as prime minister.
December resigning before his term expires in March and names Vladimir Putin, his prime minister and a former KGB agent, as acting president.

8. Yeltsin’s Legacy
Boris Yeltsin left behind a complicated legacy as Russia's president. He pushed for democratic reforms, such as free speech, the right to own property, and hold elections.But his haste to advance economic reforms had disastrous effects on the Russian people. Prices for goods dramatically increased, leaving many to struggle to survive. Other economic missteps led to workers waiting months to be paid. Critics also noted that he was slow to act against corruption and that the privation of businesses created great wealth in the hands of a few.

9. Political Cartoons

10. Interesting Fact
Boris Yeltsin was the first freely elected leader in Russia’s 1,000-year history.

11. The real yeltsin