Russian Political Culture

1. Russian Political Culture

2. Citizens, Society, and the State Nationality • Most important single cleavage in Russia • 80% of population is Russian • Others include: • Tatars • Ukrainians • Armenians • Chuvashes • Bashkis • Byelorussians • Moldavians

3. Nationality continued • Nationality cleavages determine the organization of the country into “federations”, “autonomous regions”, republics, and provinces • Many ethnic groups would like to have their independence, but are enticed by trade benefits with the Russian government to stay in the Federation • Chechnya is the one exception

4. Chechnya • Primarily Muslim region of Russia • Contains some valuable resources, such as oil fields • Independence movement is strong, and Russian government has struggled to keep Chechnya region within its control • Chechens have reverted to terrorist tactics including taking over a heavily attended Russian theater and in 2004 the seizure of a school that resulted in the deaths of over 350 people, mostly children

5. Religion • Russian Orthodox under the tsars • All religion prohibited during the Soviet Union’s rule • Boris Yeltsin encouraged Russian Orthodox Church to reestablish itself as a signal of a break from communism and a reflection of old Russian nationalism • Other religions represented in very small percentages (Roman Catholic, Jews, Muslims, Protestants)

6. Social Class • Nomenklatura: only about 7% of the citizenry were CPSU members, and all political leaders were chosen from this group. • Business Oligarchy: emerged during Yeltsin’s regime, often former KGB and CPSU leaders, granted favors by Yeltsin government to promote business. • Struggled in late 1990’s but have emerged as leaders in Russia after acquiring major corporations • Putin has arrested/exiled oligarchs not willing to support him

7. Linkage Institutions Today • Huge fortunes made by oligarchs and the mafia offend the equality of opportunity principle of the Russian people • In 2003, Mikhail Khodorvsky, the richest man in Russia and CEO of the Yukos Oil Company was arrested after campaigning against Putin • Yukos was slapped with massive penalties and additional taxes, forcing it into bankruptcy

8. Mass Media • A linkage institution with close ties to both the state and the oligarchy, has been manipulated by dominant political and interest groups to pursue their own causes

9. Rural vs. Urban Life • 73% of all Russians live in urban settings, usually in the western part of the country • Economic divide between rural and urban residents is wide, however, all Russians have been hit hard by recent economic woes of the post-Cold War Russia • Urban residents tend to be more educated and in touch with western culture

10. Beliefs and Attitudes • Mistrust of Government – result of mistreatment and government secrecy during tsarist and Soviet regimes • Statism– despite mistrust of government, Russian citizens still expect the state to take active role in their lives • Economic Beliefs– nearly all groups and political factions favor market reforms, although not all do so enthusiastically • Westernization - “Slavophile vs. Westernizer” – some political parties emphasize nationalism, Russian interests, and Slavic culture; others emphasize reform, and integration of Russia into world economy and global trade

11. Political Participation • In 1991 voter turnout in the Russian Federation was higher than the U.S. • Presidential voter turnout declined from 75% in 1991 elections to less than 65% for the 2004 election • It rose to 70% for the 2008 election • Only 22% of Russia’s citizens report being a member of a political party • Few Russians are members of clubs, churches, or cultural groups (weak civil society)

12. Equality of Result • Communist regime instilled a value of equality in the Russian people already strong in a country of peasants with similar living standards • Egalitarianism has survived the fall of the Soviet Union • Most Russians resent differences of wealth or income • Russian political culture is not particularly conducive to the development of capitalism

13. Hostility to Govt. Despite strong, central authority and Russian statism, citizens can be surprisingly hostile toward their government Years of repression spark resentment that leads to badmouthing of political leaders Pessimism towards political and economic policies Importance of Nationality Cultural heterogeneity Discrimination and historical stereotypes Baltic peoples usually viewed favorably, Muslim-Turks viewed in a negative light Anti-Semitism was strong under the Tsars, some nationalists in Russia blame the Jews for Russia’s current problems Hostility toward Government & Nationality