Parties and Elections in Russian Regions

Master 2021/2022

Type: Elective course (Russian Studies)

Area of studies: Political Science

Delivered by: School of Politics and Governance

Where: Faculty of Social Sciences

When: 2 year, 2 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Yury Gaivoronsky

Master’s programme: Российские исследования

Language: English

ECTS credits: 6

Contact hours: 32

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The course provides students with knowledge of major principles and current dynamic of electoral performance of political parties and candidiates in Russian regions. The subnational dimension of Russian hybrid regime gives us a range of political practices and consequences of changing electoral system. So, there is no surprise that the topic has been in high demand today under institutionalized personalistic rule that uses party politics as a means of stabilizing the regime. The main content of the course is subnational comparative study of evolution political parties. An important component of the course is a focus on the question of how institutional design affects the development of the party system in Russia’s subnational units. The section also includes the review of the evolution of «United Russia» as a dominant party, paying attention to capabilities and obstacles of its institutionalization. The students also will learn the results of subnational (regional and local) election campaigns being focused on the means by which candidates and political parties prepare and present their positions on issues to the voters in different regions. The course also provides the study of factors of electoral behavior emphasizing similarities and differences between Russia and Western democracies. The course introduces the students relevant literature on electoral space. The section covers such topics as regionalization, nationalization and institutionalization of electoral space as well as some aspects of voting volatility and transition. The origins of the relevant notions, research trends and indicators will be considered in the context of regional elections.

Learning Objectives

to give students the comprehensive knowledge of developments in elections at the regional level in contemporary Russia.

Expected Learning Outcomes

students will be able to analyze possibilities and constrains of the formation of a dominant party system in the Russian regions
students will be able to compare and analyze electoral outcomes of gubernatorial elections
students will be able to measure electoral space at different territorial levels
students will know basic trends in party politics at the subnational level in Russia
students will know regional consequences of electoral reforms
students will know the role of local elections in Russia.

Course Contents

Evolution of Political Parties in the Russian Regions in the 1990s
Party politics in the Russian Regions under Putin
United Russia a dominant party: possibilities and constrains at the subnational level
Regional dimension of federal elections: evolution of electoral space and geography in Russia
Gubernatorial elections
Parties and elections at the local level

Assessment Elements

Сlass discussions
Exam
A student will be provided with 2 randomly selected questions from the list. A student has got 30 min to prepare herself/himself for the oral reply.
In-class presentation
A brief report accompanied with a presentation on the topic of a seminar

Interim Assessment

2021/2022 2nd module
0.2 * In-class presentation + 0.4 * Exam + 0.4 * Сlass discussions

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Campbell, A., & Ross, C. (2009). Federalism and Local Politics in Russia. Routledge.
Kynev, A. (2011). Distinctive Features of Interparty Struggle in the Russian Regions. Russian Politics & Law, 49(2), 70–93. https://doi.org/10.2753/RUP1061-1940490203
Moses, J. C. (2002). Political-Economic Elites and Russian Regional Elections 1999–2000: Democratic Tendencies in Kaliningrad, Perm and Volgograd. Europe-Asia Studies, 54(6), 905–931. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966813022000008456
Panov, P., & Ross, C. (2013). Sub-National Elections in Russia: Variations in United Russia’s Domination of Regional Assemblies. Europe-Asia Studies, 65(4), 737–752. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2013.767581
Panov, P., & Ross, C. (2017). The dynamic nationalisation of voting for United Russia: the stability / instability of regional deviations from national results. https://doi.org/10.1080/21599165.2017.1415886
Reuter, O. (2010). The Politics of Dominant Party Formation: United Russia and Russia’s Governors. Europe-Asia Studies, 62(2), 293–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668130903506847
Reuter, O. J. (2017). The Origins of Dominant Parties : Building Authoritarian Institutions in Post-Soviet Russia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1491929
ROSS, C., & TUROVSKY, R. (2015). Centralized but Fragmented: The Regional Dimension of Russia’s “Party of Power.” Demokratizatsiya, 23(2), 205–223. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=asn&AN=102849699
Rostislav Turovsky, & Marina Sukhova. (2018). Contemporary Developments In Russia’S Federal And Local Elections: On The Way To A Cohesive Party System? HSE Working Papers.
Rostislav Turovsky. (2016). Russia’S Electoral Space: Change and Continuity in Post-Soviet Perspective. HSE Working Papers.
Smyth, R., & Turovsky, R. (2018). Legitimising Victories: Electoral Authoritarian Control in Russia’s Gubernatorial Elections. Europe-Asia Studies, 70(2), 182–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2018.1436697
Timothy Frye, John Reuter, & Noah Buckley. (2011). The Political Economy of Russian Gubernatorial Election and Appointment. HSE Working Papers.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Bader, M., & Van Ham, C. (2015). What explains regional variation in election fraud? Evidence from Russia: A research note. https://doi.org/10.1080/1060586X.2014.969023
Golosov, G. V. (2017). Legislative Turnover and Executive Control in Russia’s Regions (2003–2014). Europe-Asia Studies, 69(4), 553–570. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2017.1337871
Knyazev, S. D. (2007). Federalism and Elections in the Russian Federation: National and Regional Aspects. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0731126500002213
Kynev, A. V. (DE-588)1021086215, (DE-576)36251318X. (2014). Russia’s September 14 regional elections : strengthening the rules and reducing competition against the background of the Ukrainian crisis / by Aleksandr Kynev.
Slider, D. (2016). United Russia’s “primaries” : a preview of the Duma elections? / by Darrell Slider and Nikolai Petrov.

Authors

GAYVORONSKIY YURIY OLEGOVICH

Course Syllabus