Changes in the Russian Federation

Paper Summary:

The paper examines whether Russia, which had made significant progress towards democracy under Gorbachev, is slowly being led back to an authoritarian-like rule by Putin or whether Putin is hamstrung by his predecessor, Yeltsin. The author believes that Gorbachev made exemplary strides in taking Russia on the path of democracy. His successors' policies, however, caused Russia to take serious steps backwards in this process. The paper is especially critical of Yeltsin and Putin, citing their backgrounds and personalities as leading to the current backward trends in Russian attempts at democracy.

From the Paper:

"Over the past century, the Russian Federation has undergone numerous changes in government. From a Tsarist regime in the early 1900s to a totalitarian state under brutal dictator Joseph Stalin, to its present, semi-democracy under ex-KGB leader Vladimir Putin, it's a wonder that Russia has been able to sustain its position as a world power for all these years. In the past decade, Russia had been making an effort to rid themselves of their totalitarian (and communist) past, by moving the government towards democracy, thanks to progressive leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. However, in recent years, Putin has strayed from the democratic path. By taking such measures as jailing his main Presidential opposition, and with the Duma, Russia's parliament, practically controlled by his party, Putin has given himself more power than his predecessors ever had. This, combined with what many call an "anti-democratic culture", has outsiders questioning whether Russia is again veering off course. The main question is whether it's solely Putin's fault for the present state of the Russian government, or if his predecessors left him with little room to maneuver."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Archie Brown & Lilia Shevtsona, Gorbachev, Yeltsin & Putin: Political Leadership in Russia's Transition; Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2001
• Vicki L. Hesli & William M. Reisinger, The 1999-2000 Elections in Russia: Their Impact and Legacy; Cambridge University Press, 2003
• Andrew Wilson, Virtual Politics: Faking Democracy in the Post-Soviet World; Yale University Press, 2005
• Richard Rose and Doh Chull Shin, "Democratization Backwards: The Problem of Third Wave Democracies", British Journal of Political Science 31 (April 2001) pp. 331-354http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~dmiguse/Russian/bybio.html
• Kristiano Ang, http://www.thecheers.org/article_949_The_Return_Of_The_Union.html

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