Chapter 9 Outline

I.Dj Vu All Over Again

II. Thinking About Russia
A. The Basics
1.
Geography
2.
Diversity
3.
Poverty
4.
The Environment
B. Key Questions
1.
How and why did the Soviet Union collapse?
2.
How did its legacy affect the way Russia has evolved?
3.
Will Putins successors be able to strengthen and stabilize the Russian state?
4.
In doing so, will they be able to make the regime more democratic and legitimate?
5.
How can they build stronger and more broadly accepted institutions?
6.
How will Russia adapt to its new international role?
III.The Evolution of the Russian State
A. The Broad Sweep of Russian History
B. Prelude to Revolution
1.
Backwardness
2.
Failed Reform
3.
A Weak State
C. Lenin and the (Wrong?) Revolution
D. Terror and the Modernization of the Soviet Union
1.
Industrialization
2.
Foreign Policy
3.
The Purges
E. Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and the Politics of Decline
F. The Collapse of the Soviet State: The Gorbachev Years
G. The Party State
1.
Central Committee
2.
Politburo
3.
Glasnost
4.
Democratization
5.
Perestroika
6.
Foreign Policy
H. Crisis and Collapse
IV. Between Dictatorship and Democracy
A. Birth Pangs
B. Putin and Stability
V. Political Culture and Participation
A. Political Culture
B. Political Parties and Elections
1.
Elections
2.
The Political Parties Today
3.
A Balance Sheet
VI. The Russian State
A. The Presidency
B. The Oligarchs
C. The Parliament
D. The Bureaucracy
E. The Judiciary
F. The Federation
G. The Military
VII. Public Policy
A. The Economy
B. Foreign Policy
VIII. Feedback
IX. Conclusion: Half-Empty or Half-Full

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Chapter 9 Important Terms
Bolsheviks Lenins block within the exiled Russian communists
Brezhnev, Leonid General Secretary of the CPSU 1964-82; largely responsible for the stagnation of the USSR
Central Committee the elite leadership of the CPSU; dominated by the smaller Politburo of the Central Committee
Comintern coalition of communist parties dominated by the USSR during the period between the World Wars
Democratic centralism the Leninist organizational structure that concentrates power in the hands of the party elite
Glasnost Soviet policies under Gorbachev that opened up the political system and allowed for freedom of expression
Gorbachev, Mikhail head of the CPSU and last president of the USSR
Near-abroad Russian term to describe the other (non-Russian) republics of the Soviet Union
Lenin, V.I. architect of the Bolshevik revolution and the first leader of the Soviet Union
Medvedev, Dmitri president of the Russian Federation, 2008- ; protg of Putin
Nomenklatura Soviet system of lists that facilitated the CPSUs appointment of trusted people to key positions
Oligarch business and political leaders with what some think is undue influence in Russia
Perestroika ill-fated program to reform the Soviet economy in the late 1980s
Politburo generic term used to describe the leadership of communist parties
Power ministries the most important departments in the Russian government
Privatization the selling off of state-owned companies
Putin, Vladimir president of Russia, 1999-2008; prime minister 2008Shock therapy policies in former communist countries that envisage as rapid a shift to a market economy as possible
Stalin, Joseph leader of CPSU and Soviet Union, 1924-1953
United Russia political party lead by Putin
Yeltsin, Boris president of Russia 1991-1999