Sunday, February 22, 2009

Friday, Feburary 20th 7th Period

Political Parties
Old Soviet Union
  • Decision making and appointments for party positions made at the top levels of government (Politboro)
  • New parties began to win seats under Yeltsin but also created competition with his own party
Modern Russia
  • In 1995 42 parties competed but only 4 won seats
  • in 1999 only 26 parties competed
  • New party called United Russia formed in 1999 around Putin and won a number of seats
  • December 2003 23 parties were competing but Communist Party and United Russia were the only major ones
  • A new party called Motherland was approved by Putin and set out to destroy Communist Party as its goal
  • The 2003 Duma election resulted in United Russia 37.1%, Communist Party 12.7%, Liberal Democratic Party 11.6%, Motherland 9.1%, and Yabloko 4.3%
  • Yabloko didn't win any seats in the Duma because it won less than the 5% needed to capture a seat
  • In 2006 Fair Russia is set up by the government with the intent to supress the Communist Party similar to the role of Motherland
  • In 2007 United Russia won 315 out of 450 seats in the Duma, which gives them the two-thirds majority necessary to ammend the constitiution, Communist Party 57 seats, Liberal Deomocratic Party 40 seats, Fair Russia 38 seats
  • 2007 election signlas the end of transisition to western style democracy
  • Russia is a "Floating Democracy" meaning that its parties focus on political personalities rather than issues
  • In 2007 Putin passed a law that raised the votes required to get a seat in the Duma from 5% to 7% which caused 35 parties to disband soon thereafter
  • The Law also required parties to have functioning branches in 45 regions with at least 500 supporters for each, and 50,000 supporters nationwide to run in national elections
Communist Party
  • Far left wing party but not really that radical
  • Calls for greater state protection of industry
  • More social security
  • Slower privitization
United Russia
  • Led by and completely centered around Putin and support of Putin's policies
Unity
  • Formed in 2000 as a regional party
  • Labeled as "party of power"
  • Formed by the Oligarchs to support their interests
Fatherland-All Russia
  • Leaning coalition party
Fair Russia
  • Created in 2006 as a junior party and formed from from 3 smaller parties including Motherland
  • Set out to destroy Communist Party
  • Failed to defeat Communist Party and will therefore not last much longer
Liberal Democrats
  • In favor of State control of the economy and other radical ideas
  • Leder of party despised seeing the Soviet Union lose its power and influence on the world stage
  • Became one of Yeltsin's strongest supporters
  • Putin's election gave the party a boost after it grew less popular under Yeltsin
Motherland
  • Attacked imprisoned Oligrachs
  • Very nationalistic
  • Set up to support Putin and take votes from Communist Party

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