Russia Flashcards
State Duma General
- 450 Deputies
- 5 yr term (no specified, clear limits)
State Duma Apportioned
pt 1. 225 come from SM Districts; Direct popular vote; FPP Plurality
pt 2: Remaining 275 are allocated on the basis of each party’s popular vote (proportional rep.)
Federation Council General
- 176 Senators (2 from each federal subject)
- Unspecified term on the national level and length is determined by each federal subject
Federal Council (S)ELECTION
- Selected by politicians in the federal subjects
~ 1 by the provincial legislature
~ 1 nominated by the provincial governor and confirmed by the legislatures
General Election Day
Scheduled, the executive and legislature are not on the same cycle
Voter TURNOUTT
~67%
President DATA
2024 will be the 8th Presidential Election since the USSR’s fall
~ 1991-1996: 5 yr term
~1996-2012: 4 yr term
~2012-Present: Unspecified
What’s unique about the Presidential Election System?
The Presidential Elections are (maybe - supposed to be) in 2 rounds
Two Round Presidential Election System
1st Round: Presidential candidates in Russian (and Iran) must win an abdolute majority of the popular vote in the first (or second) round of national voting.
2nd Round: If no one got majority during round 1, the 2nd Round is conducted between the top two candidates from the 1st Round withing 3 weeks
Demonstration of 2 Round Voting System
the federation characteristic of this nation-state and the vast diversity
Comparative Corner 1
majoritarian rules in Iran, Nigeria, and Russia provide the winners with a national mandate
Comparative Corner 2
Both Mexican and Russian presidents have a 6 yr term with no VP (However, Mexico does NOT allow re-election)
BOTTOM LINEE
All of the term length changes and irregular elections have fostered Russia’s illiberal democracy tendencies and paved the way for Putin authoriatism
Russia is THEORETICALLY a ______, but in reality it is a _______.
Russia is THEORETICALLY a MULTI-PARTY SYSTEM, but in reality it is a DOMINANT PARTY SYSTEM.
Central Election Commission
WHAT: The body responsible for conducting federal elections and overseeing local elections (“attempt” at a democracy???)
WHO: 15 members, 4 yr term
HOW: The President, State Duma, and Federation Council appoint 5 members (so no, no “attempt”)
Lack of a Competitive Election System
- Soviet dominance from 1921-1991 encouraged a state-run, single party system (PRE-PUTIN)
- After the fall of USSR, lots of fragmentation in parties (PRE-PUTIN)
- Putin’s ascendency to the Presidency and consolidation of power
- Weak legislature; does party ID really matter to voters who are not ideologically driven (response to strength)
United Russia
- Founded 2001 (merger of 2 parties)
- Conservative
- Pro-Putin; essentially the state party (has over 70% supermajority in legislature)
- Anti-LGBTQ
Ensuring One-Party Dominance
- increasing party registration requirements
- selective court decisions to disqualify candidates
- limiting the ability of political opposition to present their viewpoints to the media
- eliminating gubernational (state governor) elections
DOMINATION
One party has been dominating recent elections; diminished rep. of smaller parties occurs because of changing threshold rules; elimination then reinstatement of SM districts has decreased rep. of independent candidates
