Russia

Prime Minister of Russia (replaced Boris Yeltsin, launched reforms to boost growth and budget revenues to help the economy)

- hand picked by putin - "puppet of putin" (not necessarily true) - appointed putin as PM - has criticized undemocratic nature of Russia - less hostile to west

chief executive officer and major shareholder in Yukos oil company. Was arrested for fraud and tax evasion, and placed in jail for 9 years. Many say arrest was due to his funding for an opposition political party and his support for measures to weaken the Russian president's powers SIG: Authoritarian values that are holding back russian democratic stability

Was the first President of the Russian Federation from 1991 to 1999. The Yeltsin era was a traumatic period in Russian history—a period marked by widespread corruption, economic collapse, and enormous political and social problems. In June 1991 Yeltsin came to power on a wave of high expectations. On June 12 Yeltsin was elected president of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic with 57% of the vote, becoming the first popularly elected president in Russian history. But Yeltsin never recovered his popularity after endorsing radical economic reforms in early 1992 which were widely blamed for devastating the living standards of most of the Russian population. By the time he left office, Yeltsin was a deeply unpopular figure in Russia, with an approval rating as low as two percent by some estimates.

Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the party that ran the USSR until it collapsed in 1991

lack of normal development of intellectual capacities

led the communist revolution, was the leader of the Bolsheviks, ruled Russia

a form of democracy in which the interests of the masses were discovered through discussion within the Communist party, and then decisions were made under central leadership to serve those interests

Radical Marxist political party founded by Vladimir Lenin in 1903. Under Lenin's leadership, the Bolsheviks seized power in November 1917 during the Russian Revolution. (See also Lenin, Vladimir.) (p. 761)

Russia's legislative Duma formed it in order to restore order. It was challenged by the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies; a temporary government established in 1917 which replaced Nicholas II when he abdicated. The mistake of this government was not getting Russia out of the brutal World War I.

Russian leader who succeeded Lenin as head of the Communist Party and created a totalitarian state by purging all opposition (1879-1953)

Stalin's plan to reorganize the industry and agriculture to catch up with the industrialized west with collectivization of farms and unrealistic production quotas in factories

Moscow-dominated organization of communist parties around the world between the two world wars.

What Stalin ordered all who opposed him to be killed or put in prison and during the rule of Stalin millions were killed

ruled the USSR from 1958-1964; lessened government control of soviet citizens; sought peaceful coexistence with the West instead of confrontation

Seized power from Nikita Khrushchev and became leader of the Soviet Communist party in 1964. Ordered forces in to Afghanistan and Czechoslovakia.

Head of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. His liberalization effort improved relations with the West, but he lost power after his reforms led to the collapse of Communist governments in eastern Europe.

Was the highest body of the Communist Party of Soviet Union. They directed all party and government activities between each Party Congress. Members were elected at the Party Congress every five years.

the chief executive and political committee of the Communist Party

the process of filing influential jobs in the state, society, or the economy with people approved and chosen by the communist party

Policy of openness initiated by Gorbachev in the 1980s that provided increased opportunities for freedom of speech, association and the press in the Soviet Union.

the action of making something democratic

a policy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev that involved restructuring of the social and economic status quo in communist Russia towards a market based economy and society

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation, it is the second-strongest party. The party emphasizes centralized planning and nationalism, and implies an intention to regain territories lost when the Soviet Union broke apart.

policies in formerly communist countries that envisage as rapid a shift to a market economy as possible

The elected parliament. Though through establishing this is seemed like the Czar was giving his people power, in reality he could easily get rid of this if they made any laws or such that he didn't like.

dozen or so individuals who took advantage of the rapid privatization of Soviet property to amass huge personal fortunes thus controlling most of Russia's medias, banks, and raw-material companies and being targeted by Putin when they opposed him

parties in russia that form and continue to disappear

a major political party in the Russian Federation. United Russia supports President Dmitry Medvedev, and is currently the largest political party in the Russian Federation. On April 15, 2008, Vladimir Putin accepted the nomination to become chairman of the party

a political party built around patronage rather than programmatic appeals

Russian who became a rich Oligarch by buying up Russian industries after the fall of Communism and the beginning of "shock therapy." He was exiled by the Russian government.

one of the leading opposition parties in Russia in the 1999 Duma elections

A small party in Russia that advocates democracy and a liberal political economic system. Although they were the reason that Yeltsin reformed his government , in 2007 they received zero sears in the State Duma.

Russian democratic opposition party associated with free market reforms, privatization, and the legacy of the 'Young Reformers' of the 1990s. The Party was considered to be one of the few Russian parties that support western-style capitalism.

left-wing democrats - favor redistribution of wealth to poor, minorities - socially more liberal

leader of the Liberal Democrats (most controversial party in Russia) with extreme nationalist views

System in which a prime minister coexists with a president who is directly elected by the people and who holds a significant degree of power.

gov orgs that controlled the military, the police, and the KGB. yeltsin used them to his advantage to overthrown gorbachev

The 178-seat upper house of Russia. Wields relatively little power and represents local interests. It must approve bills that involve certain issues, and can reject Duma legislation, but only within certain parameters.

the internal counterintelligence agency of the Russian Federation and successor to the Soviet KGB

ethnic republic that declared its independence in September 1991, against which Yeltsin launched a disastrous full-scale military attack in 1994 which led to the death of thousands of civilians