The Role Of Russian Government

Throughout its long history, Russia has been trapped in a continuous cycle of authoritarian regimes; only interrupted briefly with periods of tumultuous democratic transitions that were plagued by poor bureaucracy and weak institutions. Therefore, time and time again, Russia has turned towards authoritarianism. In the late 1900’s to early 2000’s, Russia again saw the fall of democracy coincide with the rise of a competitive authoritarian regime. This rise of competitive authoritarianism in Russia in the late 1900’s to early 2000’s was largely the result of the resource curse which granted Putin’s Administration false economic performance legitimacy. This in turn reinvigorated past strongman ideals, while at the same time solidified negative

A comparison between the U.S. constitution and Russian constitution is interesting due to the fact that America is often regarded (at least from the view of most Americans) as the pinnacle of freedom and democracy. The Russian Federation on the other hand has a much more complex image. The Russian Federation was formerly a country known as the Soviet Union, which was the pinnacle of communism throughout the 1900’s. Communism is a polar governmental structure compared to the U.S. The Russian Federation is today classified as a democracy, however, there are still remnants of the communist structure seen among leaders as a result of the way that the constitution is constructed.

Russian federation has struggled with human rights, it works tirelessly to give all humans equal opportunities. The constitution of Russian federation and the federal

During the Communist regime in the former Soviet Union, life was very difficult. The people who lived within the countries controlled by the Soviet government experienced levels of oppression akin to slavery. They could not express themselves through any means and had to conform both body and soul to the views of the Communist Party. People could be arrested, imprisoned, shipped off to exile or executed often without trial. Some twenty million people died while Joseph Stalin led the USSR and for many years after his death it was still dangerous to dare criticize his regime, although some scholars put that number closer to forty million people who died. Now that the Soviet Union has broken up and Russia is its own country there is more freedom, but the people still live under the yoke of an oppressive leader who does not tolerate political or social challenges. The people do nothing to stand up to this government because they have all been scarred by the decades they lived under Stalin.

Russia, as a country, has had a long and proud history. However, for a small time starting in 1917, things started to take a turn for the worse. There was widespread famine, disease, and killing by the instituted government. There was also no Russia. Instead, there was the glorious United Soviet Socialist Republics, or the USSR. This new country did not come around peacefully, but instead under the 1917 Russian Revolution and the revolting communist Bolsheviks. The Russian people were not in a better condition after the Russian revolution due to Stalin’s leadership of his country; the reason being the GULAGs that Stalin was sending his people to, the communes that the peasants were sent to, and the disastrous effects of his five year plans.

The United States and Russia have been battling off pernicious factions menacing the stability of their democracies over the years. Russia has come a long way over the past century, enduring a number of different phases that have completely desecrated any power Russia may have had paralleled to the rest of the world. The United States, however, has been evolving into a prosperous world power that has led to new respect from many other nations. Both Russia and the United States have struggled in the past at maintaining a significant amount of cultural commitment to preservation of specific aspects of their respective democracies. Having a relatively new democracy, Russian citizens have different perceptions and expectations of government from those of United States citizens. With new liberties and freedoms, Russians are struggling to grasp the concept of capitalism and participation in government. In order to preserve strong features of democracy, such as the right to vote or freedom of speech, a country 's constituents must respect and positively view their government. They must have faith in that the government is working for their best interests. Physically, the United States and Russia have been impacted greatly by their geography. Historically, the backgrounds of Russia and the United States are of stark contrast. Traditionally, Russians have a difficult time believing in the stability of their government as it has changed a number of times.

The main function of law-enforcement agencies in Russia is not to protect the public from crime and corruption, but to shield the bureaucracy, including themselves, from the public” . The Russian police have been accused of getting paid to carry out jobs that benefit the image of the government. Both police forces are accused of using unnecessary force to complete corrupt motives. In Russia those who want to protest the government may have a tough time trying to come out without any injuries. An article from the New York time says “Many Russians seem to feel that they do not have much recourse in the face of police abuse and a result, motorists’ rights groups have sprung up. In October last year, The New York Times profiled a leader of one such group in Yekaterinburg, who was beaten in police custody after protesting corruption” . After protesting that the government was corrupt the leader was beaten and thrown in jail. This is evident that the police are there to protect the image of the government and if someone speaks out against the government they are liable to be victims of police brutality. This is similar to the cases of police brutality that occur in the United States, which have been connected to systematic discrimination. With the many protest that occur in the U.S, countless have been in result of police brutality cases against blacks. Most of the protest end with protesters being

My answer is this. No. They don’t. Since 2000 and Vladimir Putin’s election Russia has become more authoritarian, he has gotten away with this through massive economic growth, increased living standards and a much better lifestyle. The Russian government these days openly rigs elections (2011), seizes oligarchs property and assets (Mikhail Khodorkovsky), assassinated journalists (Anna Politkovskaya) and defectors (Alexander Litvinenko) and has passed laws banning homosexual propaganda. Every one of these actions has gone against what I fought for in the Soviet Union. However there are even more violations against what I stood for; today all of Russia’s major companies are state owned and the Russian government is taking over all sectors of the economy, notably agriculture and technology companies, which is completely against economic liberalisation, an idea that I believe is pivotal to a country and its people as it closes the gap of wealth inequality. Modern day Russia is a perfect example of economic inequality, with 110 individuals (Oligarchs) owning 35% of Russia’s wealth. This is worse than Soviet days and I have always pushed for wealth distribution. Furthermore, the Russian government has taken it upon itself to ban women from certain jobs (that are for men) and also it has become more prominent than ever the assassination and silencing of thousands of activists across Russia. However, the recurring theme here is that government is the one continually interfering in the day to day lives of ordinary citizens. It is also very simple why. So that it retains its power and its control of power. So, therefore the biggest opposition and threat to human rights in Russia and as a matter of fact for the whole world is governments. Governments that are corrupt and take and do not

In today’s society, there is constant commotion over how power is used and abused. In the real world, there is a big complication with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, he is supposed to be a helping hand and a person that would help Russia with his power. On the contrary, many people who live in Russia and across the world have recognized the corrupt moves he makes by stealing money from citizens to build his empire and worth. Some find his abuse of power to be justified by how much he has helped Russia while others couldn’t disagree more. This example effectively demonstrates that power use and abuse is solely based on how the individual views it, not a set opinion everyone agrees with.

They could change their government to fit in the European model or even a Democracy. Either option would help Russia transform into a better nation. A government that could persecute the leader should a criminal charge be found against them. Back in the beginning of his presidency, Putin stopped the laundering charges of his mentor Anatoly Sobchak. An investigator had tried to get Putin persecuted, but was turned down and later told that they could not go on with a trial that persecuted the leader with criminal charges. The investigator said in the episode that had he been allowed to take his case to court the citizens of Russia might actually listen to civil law and how now there is no

Many countries try to seek a perfect society, they often turn to a socialist or communist government, but in reality these types of governments are unideal to many people living in that society. Russia has a communist government, which is a society where all are supposed to be equal, sharing all money throughout the country. Citizens in this society often have very little rights and the government has overpowering control over what people can and cannot do. A socialist government is one that distributes goods to all people, most instances the upper class receives heavier taxes in order to pay for the goods and services being distributed. Often times these governments are not what they seem, greed will take over, causing them to seek for higher power, defeating the purpose of a perfect

In recent times, no one can take total power by force alone; you must offer something favorable to the people in order to obtain support. Unfortunately, there are some countries that follow a dictatorship system, which is a form of government that includes social and political power to ensure that the individual’s capability remains strong. Vladimir Putin is a contemporary dictator of Russia. His rebelliousness as a child has led him to his leadership. His cold-heartedness to his rivals and invasion towards countries has led to an opposition towards him. Vladimir Putin’s experience as a street thug led him to his leadership, which easily rose him to power: Not only has he committed crimes against humanity, but he has made groups of people and countries oppose him.

Instead, the regime programmed people with the notion of social order, with traditional attitudes to great power, superiority and history, “Orthodoxy” the primary religion of the state and military. The area where politics and civil society should have been was "purged" decreasing the rights of citizens unknowingly. “If participation were not contained, the Kremlin feared the state would lose control; if the constraints were too tight, citizens would not participate, and the state would again need a cumbersome bureaucracy to get things done” (Richter 41). Political parties, independent television channels, non governmental and public organizations, the system of elections, the courts and law-enforcement bodies as autonomous bodies

The present day Russian Federation involves a democratic system, given the presence of elections, an independent judiciary, and the supremacy of law. Yet, in democracy, the crux of it involves an inevitable paradox: law limits state power, but the state must have the power to enforce the law. However, finding the balance of the ability to enforce laws, and therefore maintaining order, while not infringing on civil liberties, requires a mutual understanding, a social contract, between the rulers and the ruled. This requirement has not found its place in the Russian political arena, especially since “creating a rule-of-law-based sate out of dictatorship is not easy” (Bressler 2009). In addition, the Russian psyche views authority as a source of force and violence (Yakovlev 1996), an etymological result of a continuity beginning from imperial Russia. Although the Russian Federation, the Union Soviet Socialist Republics, the Russian Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia differ significantly, a strong state remains prevalent in the core of Russian history and politics. In short, the nature of political rule in Russia involves a never ending tug of war between the seemingly undying authoritative soulless entity known as the state and the equally undying Russian people’s hunger for liberty.

Russia’s Return as a Superpower. There are concerns that Russia may once again “reassert itself militarily” (Wood 7). After the original fall of communism in 1991, Russia seemed to be on a path to democracy. Currently the notion of a democratic Russia seems to be fading as Russia “has been centralizing more and more power in the Kremlin” (Putin 2). Regional governors, who were once elected by the people, are now being appointed by Moscow.