Russian Democracy

Paper Summary:

This paper looks examines whether or not the Russia that has come to exist since the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991 has successfully established a capitalistic free market economy with democratic institutions. The author examines in great detail whether or Russia, which was a totalitarian society has become a democracy since Putin's rise to power. The paper discusses the different styles of governing since the 1917 revolution and argues that even with this new era, the czarist style has remained. The structure of the Federal Assembly, the nomination process and the election process are all detailed in the constitution, but according to this paper, the President still holds a disproportionate amount of control over the all elements of government. Using the press as an example, the paper refers to several experts who feel that Russia is now a controlled or managed democracy which allows its citizens enough freedom to feel that there have been changes and to give the outside world the impression that democracy is alive and well in Russia.

From the Paper:

"Many Kremlin watchers, believing that old habits die hard, felt certain that if Yeltsin had not won that general election in a run-off, he would have reasserted his authority with force -- something he showed himself quite capable of when he dismissed parliament at gunpoint. On the other hand. no one is certain about what Putin would have done had he lost in 2000. However, Putin, the former KBG chief, like the spy that he was, left little to chance and came away with an easy victory in an election that international observers said was fair and without flaw. In fact, although he won handsomely, several Putin candidates were defeated. In the study of governments, there is much discussion about transition being an inevitable part of the formation of every government. From Plato to Aristotle to Machiavelli, each saw dictatorships as either necessary or inevitable in times of disarray. A strong hand is required to bring order so as to pave the way for a more populist government if not a fully democratic one. Of course democracy can have its own tyrannical side."

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