Regional Dimension of Russian Politics

2023/2024

Category 'Best Course for Career Development'

Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'

Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'

Type: Mago-Lego

Delivered by: School of Politics and Governance

When: 1, 2 module

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Yury Gaivoronsky

Language: English

ECTS credits: 6

Contact hours: 52

Full Syllabus Ask Question

Abstract

The course provides students with the knowledge of regional (subnational) political development in contemporary Russia. Its regional dimension gives us a range of distinct political practices despite the reforms of political and territorial centralization in the 21th century. The topic has been in high demand today and can be studied in subnational comparative perspective. There is special attention to subnational political regimes in the context of the evolution of center-periphery relations. The course sheds light on the issues of regional management, the dynamics of gubernatorial appointments, and political relations. The course also introduces the students relevant literature on regional lobbyism, representation, political consequences of fiscal federalism. Features of local politics and self-government will be explored as well. A significant part of the course is dedicated to electoral performance of political parties and gubernatorial candidates. This presupposes to focus on the question of how institutional design affects the development of the party system in 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 will learn the results of subnational elections and factors of electoral behavior (economic voting, social cleavages etc.). The course will familiarize the students with models of electoral space at the federal and subnational levels covering such topics as regionalization, nationalization and institutionalization of electoral space as well as some aspects of electoral volatility and transition.

Learning Objectives

to provide students with main political developments, trends and structures in regions of Russia
to learn students to see comparative perspectives of different political institutions and processes

Expected Learning Outcomes

students will be able to analyze Russian regional political development
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.
the students will be able to evaluate levels of political control of the federal center over the regions

Course Contents

Center-peripheral relations in the 1990s
Institutions and actors of centralized control in subnational politics
Institutional Features of Subnational Processes
Local Politics in Russia
Fiscal Federalism: political factors of federal transfers distribution
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

In-class Presentation
A student should present a brief (20-30 min) in-class report accompanied with slides once during the course. The list of topics is provided by the professor.
Participation in discussions (seminars)
Students are expected to read the readings listed for each lecture before class on the day of that lecture. Each seminar a student can earn 1 point participating in discussions. The student should discuss issues showing familiarity with readings, news or reports.
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.

Interim Assessment

2023/2024 2nd module
0.4 * Exam + 0.3 * In-class Presentation + 0.3 * Participation in discussions (seminars)

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Campbell, A., & Ross, C. (2009). Federalism and Local Politics in Russia. Routledge.
Gelman, V. (2011). State Power, Governance, and Local Regimes in Russia. Russian Politics & Law, 49(4), 42–52. https://doi.org/10.2753/RUP1061-1940490405
Jorge Martinez-Vazquez. (2007). Asymmetric Federalism in Russia: Cure or Poison? Chapters. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.h.elg.eechap.3864.8
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
Ledyaev, V., & Chirikova, A. (2019). Governors and local elites in Russia: patterns of interaction. European Politics & Society, 20(3), 315–332. https://doi.org/10.1080/23745118.2018.1534041
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. (2002). Federalism and Democratisation in Russia. Manchester University Press.
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.
Turovsky, R., & Gaivoronsky, Y. (2017). Russia’s regions as winners and losers: political motives and outcomes in the distribution of federal government transfers. European Politics & Society, 18(4), 529–551. https://doi.org/10.1080/23745118.2017.1286312

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
Golosov, G. V., & Konstantinova, M. (2016). Gubernatorial Powers in Russia The Transformation of Regional Institutions Under the Centralizing Control of the Federal Authorities. Problems of Post-Communism, 63(4), 241–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/10758216.2016.1146906
Knyazev, S. D. (2007). Federalism and Elections in the Russian Federation: National and Regional Aspects. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0731126500002213

Authors

Gaivoronskii Iurii Olegovich

Course Syllabus