Communism/Post-Communist Countries

I. Communism: Goal is to create a classless society

A. Marxist Leninist: USSR
1. Lenin: Leader of Bolshevik Party
2. Believed workers = Proletariat & owner = Bourgeoise
a. Proletariat will overthrow Bourgeoise
b. Democratic Centralism: few at the top control everything: own everything
1. led to quick industries and increased standard of living
B. Socialism: private ownership = bad, capitalism = evil (Marxist)
1. Society responsible for elimination of hunger, diseases & poverty
2. Class determined by ownership
3. Nomenklatura: party lists to fill important positions

Russia

I. General Facts
A. Three Main Obstacles
1. Russian Bureaucrats defeat all power weakening reforms
2. Country is so large that it's impossible to unite all of Russia
3. Legacy of Soviet Development (Command Economy)
II. History
A. Tsars: hereditary monarchy based on Patrimonialism ( ? - 1920)
1. Society = property, Loyal Armies
B. Bolsheviks (1917) led by Lenin
1. Socialism: Communist Party control everything
C. Stalin: totalitarian control
1. Build up Steel industries, Five Year Plan, Centralization of Power
D. Brezhnev (1964-1982)
1. Russian Power = international threat, stifle political & cultural change
E. Gorbachev (1985)
1. Three Main Policies for limited change
a. Glasnost: more transparency in society
b. Perestroika: restructure to market economy
c. Demokratizatsiia: insert democracy
2. Fall of USSR: formed treaty to remove him from office
F. Yeltsin (1991)
1. First president of Russian Federation
a. Market Reforms: privatization : mostly benefited Oligarchs
2. Constitution of 1993: combined Presidential and Parliamentary system: sep exec & leg
a. 6 yr terms for President: 2 successive term limit: president selects Prime Minister
1. Vote of confidence: after 3 times, President has power to dissolve Duma
3. FSB: Federal Security Service (KGB)
a. struggle for power between Duma & President
G. Putin (2000-2008)
1. dominated legislature & take power away from Wealthy oligarchs
III. Russian Society
A. Divided into 89 districts: subjects of the Federation (equivalence of states)
1. Putin merged small ethnic regions: centralized power *
 2. Chechnya: muslism: revolution to become autonomous region
3. Mayors are nominated by President and confirmed by Duma
B. Presidential Decrees: force of law w/ no checks on power
1. Putin creates 7 regional districts, informal rules > formal rules
IV. Government Structure
A. Executive Branch

B. Legislative Branch: Parliament

1. agreement commission: conference committee

2. Duma (450 seats): elected by proportional representation
3. Federation Council (178 seats) Represent from 89 districts of Russia
a. Approve presidential nominees
C. Constitutional Courts
1. 19 members, make sure president and parliament all act within law, president nominates

V. Political Socialization
A. Propaganda: indoctrinization: nationalism and patriotism
1. education stresses love for Russia
2. Putin tries to reinforce ties w/ Near Abroad ( Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)
B. Nashi:Organized Youth Group (17-25) anti-fascist, promote army, pluralism, anti-alcohol
VI. Political Participation
A. Policy of Recruitment
1. Nomenklatura: keep files, supervised by Prolitburo
2. Gaz Prom: privatized by Putin: Russ Fed has 30% stocks shares of companies
B. Political Parties
1. Politicians constantly start patronage parties: personality
2. Dominant: United Russia: 2/3 of Duma

China

I. General Facts
A. Current Challenges in China: building Chinese Nationalism
1. Economic Judgements, gap between rich & poor, socialist market economy
II. History
A. Historical Setting
1. Qing Dynasty: last dynasty: bureaucracy gain power through meritocracy system
B. Mao Zedong (1950): Led communists in civil war (vs. Nationalists) & war (vs. Japan)
1. Nationalists: Chiang Kai Shek: popular in Urban areas, fled to Taiwan
2. Communist: rural areas: Mao = popular leader
C. Deng Xiao Ping
 1. 100 Flowers Campaign: transform people through education: people question communism
D. Great Leap Forward
1. Transform Agrarian into industrialized through collective farms & moral incentives
a. Good Leadership = embrace communism: set standards, failure = bad leadership
b. led to starvation & death from diseases
c. Great Sparrow Campaign: four pests, led to locusts
2. Capitalism Roaders: people threatening to Mao's power: gain power after Mao's death
E. Cultural RevolutioN: Power + ideological struggle
1. Red Guard Corp (Chinese Youth)
2. Mao's groups fight for power with each other
III. Chinese Society: Huge Population
A. Most live in Rural areas: East China
B. Ethnicities: majority = Han Chinese
1. Minorities : Tibetians, Xing Jeng = Weagers = Muslims/Turks
C. Guardianship: Relationship between Communist Party and Society
1. People's views brought to Gov by Mass Line: Democratic Centralism
IV. Political Culture
A. National People's Congress (NPC): Legislative
1. 5 yr terms, 3000 delegates, meet once a year, Rubber Stamp Agency: choose president
a. Standing Committee: 150 members, meet regularly
B. State Council: Executive
1. premier: head of gov't Wen Jiao Bao : 5 yr term
2. own standing committee: draft legislation, nomenklatura system
3. membership fo communist party = prerequisite of power
C. Rule of Law
1. Late 1970s: reforms, 1990s: dcriminal reforms
2. Criticism for death penalty
D. Guanxi: people's relationships with each other
1. system of patronage: opposite of meritocracy = corruption
2. Rule by law to Rule By law
E. Cadre: group/team: people within own party
F. Democracy Movement: Deng: toward Civil Society: democracy wall & toleration
G. Mass Globalization campaign: large scale group organization w/ grassroots leadership
1. fragmented authoritarianism: state council, vertical supervision, horizontal operation
H. Mao → Deng Philosophy
1. Slowly let go more, ownership increases, create SEZ (special economic zones)
2. One Child Policy: Population control: not enough resources to feed everyone : infantside