Phinma-Araullo University

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Introduction to Comparative Politics
WRITTEN REPORT
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POLITICS OF RUSSIA

Important Key Notes:

1. Dynastic and Imperial Russia

2. Soviet Russia
3. Federation of Russia

We provide some notes that can be easily understand related to its history,
political origin and the transformation of political system in Russia.

The main objective here is to determine the Political Aspect of Russia before, and
in the present Administration.

Reporters:

1. Mark Joseph Capulong

2. Christian Grey
RUSSIA
 Russia is the 1st largest country in the world by covering more than 1/8 of the Earth’s inhabited
land area (17,098,242 square kilometres)
 Russia is derived from the word “Rus”or “Land of the Rus” a medieval state populated mostly by
the East Slavs, and also established by Prince Rurik a Varangian settler.

BRIEF HISTORY OF RUSSIA

 Russia is ruled by an autocratic rule where the leader is came from political dynasties during the
9th to 20th.
 They are also called “Duke”, a respected leader of Christian Orthodoxy.

RUSSIAN EMPIRE (1721-1916)

 Also known as “Imperial Russia”
 Russia was proclaimed an Empire in 1721 and became recognized as a world power.
 Ruled by a Tsar or by an Emperor
 The empire expanded on the 16th century era
 Extend in Eurasia and North America

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (1917)

 Established by Vladimir Lenin, the Leader of the Communist Party Bolsheviks who led the
revolution.
 A pair of revolutions in Russia in 1917 which dismantled the Tsarist Autocracy ( Nicholas)
 Bolsheviks overthrew Russian Provisional Government.
 Strong Revolt of the Worker’s class
 The russian revolution is the most important political event in russia and even in the world
history
 Russian Revolution caused Extreme Famine
 Darwinism Thought by Lenin
 One of the most bloodies revolution in the world

SOVIET RUSSIA (1922-1991)

 First Communist State in the World
 A union of multiple national soviet republics (consists of multi-communist state)
 Known as UNITED SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
 Established by Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin
 One Party State (Communist Party)
 Joseph Stalin established Marxism-Leninism Communist Ideology.
DEMOCRATIZATION OF POLITICAL SYSTEM

 Russia became an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December
1991.
 The 1993 Constitution declares Russia a democratic, federative, and law-based state with a
republican form of government.
 State power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches

TRANSFORMATION OF PARTY SYSTEM

 From Soviet Union to Russian Federation

 Russian Federation has a multi-party system

THE BASIS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM

 The Russian Federation -Russia is a democratic federative law-governed state with a republican
form of government.
 The names Russian Federation and Russia are equivalent.
 The bearer of sovereignty and the sole source of power in the Russian Federation shall be its
multinational people
 The Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws shall have supremacy on the entire
territory of the Russian Federation
 The supreme direct expression of the power of the people shall be referendum and free
elections.
 Ideological diversity shall be recognized in the Russian Federation
 The Russian Federation shall consist of republics, krays, oblasts, cities of federal significance, an
autonomous oblast and autonomous okrugs, which shall have equal rights as constituent
entities of the Russian Federation.
 State power in the Russian Federation shall be exercised by the President of the Russian
Federation, the Federal Assembly (the Council of Federation and the State Duma), the
Government of the Russian Federation, and the courts of the Russian Federation.

COMPONENT OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Russian Federation is composed of;

 46 Oblasts (provinces): most common type of federal subjects, with locally elected governor and
legislature.
 22 Republics: nominally autonomous; each is tasked with drafting its own constitution, direct-
elected[169] head of republic[170] or a similar post, and parliament. Republics are allowed to
establish their own official language alongside Russian but are represented by the federal
governmentin international affairs. Republics are meant to be home to specific ethnic
minorities.
  9 Krais (territories): essentially the same as oblasts. The "territory" designation is historic,
originally given to frontier regions and later also to the administrative divisions that comprised
autonomous okrugs or autonomous oblasts.
 4 Autonomous Okrugs (autonomous districts): originally autonomous entities within oblasts and
krais created for ethnic minorities, their status was elevated to that of federal subjects in the
1990s. With the exception of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, all autonomous okrugs are still
administratively subordinated to a krai or an oblast of which they are a part.
 1 Autonomous Oblast (the Jewish Autonomous Oblast): historically, autonomous oblasts were
administrative units subordinated to krais. In 1990, all of them except for the Jewish AO were
elevated in status to that of a republic.
 3 Federal Cities (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Sevastopol): major cities that function as
separate regions.

THE PRESIDENT OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION

 In accorddance to 1993 Constitution of Russia, Chapter 4, Sec. 80..” The President of the Russian
Federation shall be the Head of State”
 The President of the Russian Federation, as the Head of State, shall represent the Russian
Federation within the country and in international relations.
 The President of the Russian Federation shall be elected for six years by citizens of the Russian
Federation on the basis of universal, equal, direct suffrage by secret ballot.

PRESIDENTIAL POWER, THE PARLIAMENT, FEDERAL COUNCIL, LEGISLATIVE

PROCESS UNITARY

I. PRESIDENTIAL POWER

 Power to conduct International Peace Talks

 Power to grant federal pardons and reprieves
 The President also has extensive powers over military policy
 Power to declare national or regional MARTIAL LAW and STATE OF EMERGENCY
 The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, can veto legislative bills before
they become law, and appoints the Government of Russia (Cabinet) and other officers, who
administer and enforce federal laws and policies.
 Power to appoint Prime Minister, subject to the confirmation of the Duma

II. THE PARLIAMENT (Federal Assembly)

 Approved by the 1993 referendum (1993 Constitution)

 Consist of 616 members
 The houses also form Parliamentary committees and commissions to deal with particular types
of issues.
 The parliament is divided into Houses, the Federation Council (Upper House) and the State Duma
(Lower House)

THE
PARLIAMENT

FEDERATION
STATE DUMA
COUNCIL
450 members
166 members

III. FEDARATION COUNCIL

 The Upper House of the the Federal Assembly of Russia (The Parliament)
 Also known as Soviet Federation
 The chairman of the Federation Council is the third highest position, after the president and the
prime minister.
 In the case of incapacity of the President and Prime Minister, the chairman of the Federation Council
becomes Acting President of the Russian Federation.

IV. LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

 The legislative process in Russia includes three hearings in the State Duma, then approvals by
the Federation Council, the upper house and sign into law by the President.
 Draft laws may originate in either legislative chamber, or they may be submitted by the
president, the Government, local legislatures and the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court,
or the Superior Court of Arbitration within their respective competences.
 Draft laws are first considered in the State Duma. Upon adoption by a majority of the full State
Duma membership, a draft law is considered by the Federation Council, which has fourteen days
 to place the bill on its calendar. Conciliation commissions are the prescribed procedure to work
out differences in bills considered by both chambers.
 The two chambers of the legislature also have the power to override a presidential veto of
legislation. The constitution requires at least a two-thirds vote of the total number of members
of both chambers.

Local Self-Government
 Local self-government in the Russian Federation shall provide for the independent resolution by
the population of issues of local importance, and the possession, use and management of
municipal property.
 Local self-government shall be exercised by citizens by means of referendum, elections and
other forms of direct expression of their will, and through elected and other bodies of local self-
government.

What are the distinction of the Philippine Politics in Russian Political

System?

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Philippine as Unitary
Philippine is a unitary form of government wherein all of the localities are connected into national
government.

Russia as Federative
Russia is a federal state wherein the powers of the government are divided between two sets of organs,
one for national affairs and for the other for local affairs.

LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE TYPE

Philippine as Presidential
The Executive is constitutionally independent of the legislature.

Russia as Semi-Presidential and Parliament

The power is shared by the President and by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the leader of the
Parliament.
What are the Similarities of the Philippine Politics in Russian Political
System?
DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN STATE
Philippines and Russia are democratic and Republican state where the people is considered as a
sovereign body of the state, people itself have contribution to the government , they are one who elect
leaders as part of their political rights.

Separation of Powers (Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary)

These two country have separation of powers, The power is vested in Legislative, Executive, and
Judiciary. These three branches of the government is aquired by the Philippines led by the
Commonwealth and in Russia after the proclamation of the 1993 Constitution stating the
democratization of the Political system in Russia.