Deck 13: The Russian Federation

Question 1

Which of the following statements best describes Soviet politics during the post-Stalin era until the rise of Gorbachev in 1985?

A) There was an increased effort to allow foreign ideas to influence cultural affairs.
B) Internal party structures were decentralized allowing the rise of regional leaders who were less beholden to the central party.
C) The period saw the development of a more predictable and relatively stable authoritarian system.
D) Economic growth continued to grow at a steady pace although living standards improved only minimally as the state and party tended to draw resources away from the people.
E) Political terror remained constant.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Two key ideas introduced by Lenin and the Bolsheviks were

A) democratic centralism and the concept of the vanguard party .
B) democratic centralism and socialist reform.
C) the dictatorship of the proletariat and democratic centralism.
D) the concept of the vanguard party and democratic socialism.
E) democratic socialism and the concept of the one party state .

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The 1998 financial crisis had which of the following positive effects on Russia?

A) It made Russian products more competitive with imported goods.
B) It resulted in an increase in barter.
C) It led to an increase of foreign aid.
D) It led to an increase of foreign investment in the country.
E) It increased the availability of foreign goods.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The command economy under the Soviet system

A) failed to reduce economic inequality.
B) achieved rapid industrialization.
C) involved state-directed economic planning, but not state controls on pricing.
D) opened the country to foreign investment.
E) all of these.

Question 5

Soft authoritarianism refers to

A) a tightening of political controls combined with a loosening of economic controls.
B) the re-emergence of the communist party as a political force in Russia.
C) Russia's increasingly militant actions in its near abroad.
D) a system of informal and formal mechanisms that assure the dominance of a ruling group despite the existence of some forms of political competition and opposition.
E) the use of repressive political controls designed to limit opposition.

Question 6

Oligarchs refer to

A) wealthy individuals who gained ownership and control of important sectors of the Russian economy.
B) party leaders.
C) leaders of factions within the dominant party.
D) regional leaders.
E) policy advisers to the Russian president.

Question 7

_____ privatization refers to the transformation of a state-owned enterprise into one in which the majority of control is in the hands of employees and/or managers.

A) Insider
B) Internal
C) Employee-led
D) Domestic
E) Captured

Question 8

Which of the following policies is NOT associated with Gorbachev?

A) The New Economic Policy
B) Perestroika
C) Glasnost
D) New Thinking
E) Demokratizatsiya

Question 9

The term patrimonial state refers to

A) the great overrepresentation of males in state leadership positions.
B) the tradition of authoritarianism that characterized Russian politics until the early 1980s.
C) the personalistic nature of politics during the Soviet era in which one leader was elevated to a top position.
D) the system of government in which the ruler treats the state as his personal property.
E) none of these.

Question 10

Which of the following was NOT an obstacle to the market reforms of the early 1990s?

A) The lack of an effective tax collection system
B) Inadequate state regulation
C) Resistance from regional leaders
D) Continued government subsidization of ineffective operations
E) Resistance from oligarchs

Question 11

Which of the following statements about environmental politics in Russia is NOT true?

A) A Russian environmental protection agency was created only after the fall of communism.
B) Russia has a single agency that is responsible for both the use of resources and environmental protection.
C) Russia ratified the Kyoto Accords.
D) The proportion of global carbon emissions from Russia exceeds its relative share of global GDP.
E) Russia makes little use of renewable energy sources.

Question 12

Which of the following about the Russian economy is TRUE?

A) Wage differentials have decreased substantially since the economic upturn that began in 1999.
B) The average level of disposable income has decreased steadily since market reforms were introduced in the early 1990s.
C) Many Russians of all age groups question some of the values underlying market reform.
D) Urban residents have been less likely to benefit from market reform than rural residents.
E) Russians have less access to a greater variety of consumer goods.

Question 13

Yeltsin's market reform policies involved all of the following EXCEPT

A) lifting price controls.
B) encouraging small business and entrepreneurship.
C) privatizing many state industries.
D) opening the economy to global influences.
E) deregulation.

Question 14

Which of the following policies is NOT associated with the Stalin era?

A) The New Economic Policy
B) The collectivization of agriculture
C) The development of satellite states in Eastern Europe
D) Rapid industrialization, which favored heavy industry
E) Increased personal control of the party by its leader

Question 15

Which of the following statements about Russia's role in the global economy is NOT true?

A) Germany is the largest source of Russian imports.
B) Russia belongs to the World Trade Organization.
C) About three-fourths of Russian exports to Europe are mineral resources, including energy resources.
D) Russia overall relies heavily upon energy resources for export.
E) The level of foreign investment in Russia is lower than other East European countries.

Question 16

Which of the following describes Russia's geographic setting?

A) It is the second largest country in the world.
B) It is the largest European country in population.
C) It is largely an urban country with a high population density.
D) It spans fifteen time zones.
E) It is resource poor.

Question 17

____ refers to the principle that party leaders are formally elected but that strict discipline is followed.

A) Democratic centralism
B) Socialist democracy
C) Party centralization
D) Party democracy
E) Proletarian democracy

Question 18

Which of the following benefits of the Soviet era social welfare system has been maintained?

A) Guaranteed employment
B) Price subsidies for most products
C) Universal health care
D) Low levels of income inequality
E) Guaranteed pensions paid by the state

Question 19

Electoral authoritarianism refers to

A) the president's office managing political competition through a dominant party.
B) electoral fraud.
C) allowing only one party to run for political office.
D) establishing a loyal opposition party that is unlikely to actively opposing government policy.
E) outlawing all political parties except one.

Question 20

President Yeltsin responded to what he considered to be an obstructive parliament by

A) disbanding it and laying siege to its premises.
B) ignoring it and relying upon presidential decrees.
C) ignoring it and relying upon governors to pass legislation.
D) threatening to lay siege to it until it capitulated.
E) simply ignoring it as he went about his reforms.

Question 21

The term siloviki refers to

A) the Soviet era personnel system that assured party control of the bureaucracy.
B) the merit-based civil service system introduced under Putin.
C) career bureaucrats in Russia.
D) government officials drawn from the security and intelligence services who were recruited to important political posts under Putin.
E) the bureaucracy of regional governments.

Question 22

The Federation Council is comprised of

A) two members from each of Russia's federal regions and republics with one being appointed by the region's/republic's executive and the other by the region's/republic's legislature.
B) members from each of Russia's federal regions and republics, with the number from each being proportional to the region's or republic's population.
C) two members from each of Russia's federal regions and republics, both of whom are elected through regional elections.
D) two members from each of Russia's federal regions and republics, with one being chosen through regional elections and one being appointed by the region's/republic's government.
E) two members from each of Russia's federal regions and republics, appointed by the Russian president.

Question 23

Which of the following about Russian public and semipublic institutions is NOT true?

A) Despite privatization, public or semipublic ownership of firms continues in some economic sectors including television, energy, and telecommunications.
B) While private clinics and hospitals have emerged, a state-run system of medical care is still in place.
C) A large portion of the country's housing is municipally owned.
D) Russia's universities remain largely public institutions funded chiefly through the state.
E) The executives of most public and semipublic institutions, especially those in the economic sector, are appointed through politically independent boards.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about the Russian Constitutional Court is NOT true?

A) Yeltsin suspended its operations in 1993.
B) It has the power to adjudicate disputes on the constitutionality of federal and regional laws.
C) Although it has a record of protecting individual rights and addressing the constitutionality of regional laws, it has been cautious in confronting the executive.
D) Its judges are nominated by the president but must be approved by the Federation Council.
E) Its power is weakened because it cannot rule on jurisdictional disputes between government institutions.

Question 25

The Russian military has directly usurped civilian power

A) not even once.
B) only once in 1991.
C) only in the post-Soviet era.
D) only in the Soviet era.
E) only in Russia's regions.

Question 26

Which statement about the Russian bureaucracy is CORRECT?

A) Bureaucratic reshuffling has been used both to reflect leadership priorities and to allow leaders to place their allies in key positions.
B) National ministers are appointed by the prime minister.
C) National ministers are appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the prime minister and must be approved by the parliament.
D) National ministers are appointed by the prime minister but must be approved by both the president and the parliament.
E) All national ministers need to be approved by the parliament.

Question 27

The current Russian constitution was adopted by

A) a referendum.
B) presidential decree.
C) a constitutional convention.
D) a vote in the country's legislature.
E) regional leaders following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Question 28

The phrase power vertical refers to the idea that

A) a single party or party bloc should dominate politics.
B) there should exist an integrated and hierarchal structure of executive power ranging from the national to the local level.
C) political power should flow upward from "the people."
D) federal officials should be free to interfere with regional politics.
E) regional governments should have some say in the making of federal policy and the federal government should have some say in the making of regional policy.

Question 29

Which statement about the Federation Council is CORRECT?

A) It must approve nominees for the Supreme Court.
B) It plays only an advisory role in legislative matters.
C) Although it lacks significant legislative powers, it must approve presidential decrees involving the deployment of troops abroad, the declaration of states of emergency and martial law.
D) Its members are directly elected in regional elections.
E) Party factions play a significant role in its activity.

Question 30

Asymmetrical federalism refers to

A) a situation that developed in the 1990s in Russia where some subnational governments had greater or lesser power than others.
B) the constitutional provision that allows the central government to replace governing institutions of subnational governments.
C) the principle that federal law takes precedence over regional law in Russia.
D) the constitutional provision that allows the federal legislature to overturn regional laws.
E) the idea that political power in Russia rests at the subnational level.

Question 31

Which statement about presidential decrees is CORRECT?

A) They have been used more extensively by Putin and Medvedev than Yeltsin.
B) Presidential decrees have not been used to affect the bureaucracy.
C) Such decrees cannot violate the constitution but can violate specific pieces of legislation.
D) They must be approved by the Russian Duma if they relate to deploying troops abroad.
E) They allow presidents to ignore uncooperative parliaments.

Question 32

The Russian prime minister can be removed from office

A) by a single vote of no confidence.
B) by three repeat votes of no confidence within a three-month period.
C) by two repeat votes of no confidence within a three-month period.
D) only through new legislative elections.
E) by a complex process involving the parliament, the president, and the Supreme Court.

Question 33

Which of the following best describes Russia's relations with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?

A) Russia has expressed a desire to join the organization but has not yet made a formal move towards this.
B) Russia has objected to the expansion of the organization but has nevertheless developed stronger working relations with it.
C) Russia has been receptive to the expansion of NATO.
D) Russia has been formally invited to join the organization.
E) An invitation for Russia to join NATO was rescinded after Russia's intervention in Georgia.

Question 34

The State Council is comprised of the president and

A) the chairs of important legislative committees.
B) officials involved with foreign affairs and security.
C) regional governors.
D) regional governors and members of regional legislatures.
E) anyone the president chooses to appoint to this largely ceremonial body.

Question 35

Vladimir Putin

A) served in the Soviet Army and was stationed in East Germany until the collapse of communism there.
B) was born in Siberia.
C) served as Yeltsin's only prime minister.
D) served as an ambassador before being elected president.
E) was Medvedev's only prime minister.

Question 36

Which statement about Russian membership in international organizations is TRUE?

A) Following the collapse of communism, Russia initially expressed a desire to join the European Union.
B) Russia is a member of the World Trade Organization but not the International Monetary Fund.
C) Russia is a member of the International Monetary Fund but has been blocked from membership in the World Trade Organization.
D) Russia has expressed a desire to join the Council of Europe but has not yet done so.
E) Russia has established various partnerships with NATO.

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT true of Russia's semi-presidential system?

A) Generally speaking, the president oversees foreign policy, relations with the regions, and the organs of state security while the prime minister oversees economic issues.
B) Except for brief periods, the president has clearly the dominant part of the executive.
C) The prime minister has always been the leader of the dominant party or coalition in the legislature.
D) If the president dies or becomes incapacitated, the prime minister serves as the acting president until presidential elections can be held.
E) The president is directly elected while the prime minister is appointed.

Question 38

The Russian president lacks the power to

A) directly appoint regional governors.
B) call a state of emergency.
C) call for a referendum.
D) temporarily suspend the activities of other state organs.
E) impose martial law.

Question 39

Currently, regional governors are

A) popularly elected, with the requirement that a candidate's nomination is supported by a certain number of local deputies or officials.
B) appointed by the Russian president.
C) appointed by the Russian parliament.
D) elected by regional legislators.
E) popularly elected, although all candidates must be approved by the Russian president prior to the election.

Question 40

Which statement about Russia's federal system is INCORRECT?

A) Russia's federal units are represented at the national level by the Federation Council, the members of which are directly elected in regional elections.
B) Putin took a number of steps to bring Russian regions under tighter federal control.
C) The Russian constitution places many powers in the hands of the central government, while most others are considered to be shared jurisdiction between the regions and the federal government.
D) The basis of some Russian federal units is ethnicity.
E) Some cities are designated as having federal status.

Question 41

____________ comprise the largest ethnic minority group.

A) Tatars
B) Chechens
C) Bashkirs
D) Ukrainians
E) Jews

Question 42

A sign of weak democratization in Russia can be seen in the fact that

A) voter turnout has been low.
B) no new parties have been formed since the creation of United Russia.
C) national election laws effectively disqualify small national parties and regional parties.
D) although the country has held regular elections, Russia has yet to experience a real transfer of power from one political grouping to another.
E) new parties cannot be formed without the consent of the government.

Question 43

Which of the following statements about the media in Russia is TRUE?

A) The Internet has replaced television as the main source of information for Russians.
B) Russia ranks as the most dangerous country for journalists in the world.
C) A recent survey revealed that 69 percent of Russians acknowledged government censorship in the main Russian TV channels and 77 percent felt that a greater diversity of views expressed in TV media would be desirable.
D) The Internet has been used as a  medium to create a sustained opposition movement.
E) The Russian government has used the Internet to create relatively efficient e-portals for its services as well as to disseminate its interpretations of news events.

Question 44

The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) is best described as

A) a Russian nationalist party.
B) a party with a liberal and democratic platform.
C) a party that promotes Western-style social democracy.
D) the dominant party in Russia.
E) the party most committed to civil liberties and individual rights.

Question 45

Which of the following statements about Russian political attitudes is NOT true?

A) Attitudes toward gender roles in Russia generally reflect traditional values.
B) In large part because of the resurgence of the Russian Orthodox Church, religion has emerged as a basis of political cleavage for ethnic Russians in the post-communist era.
C) Social class identification has generally played a minor role in Russian politics in the post-communist era.
D) Some attitudes toward government that prevailed during the Soviet period have endured, most notably the acceptance of centralized power.
E) Public opinion polls indicate at least a general support for liberal democratic values.

Question 46

In a mixed electoral system,

A) a portion of seats is selected in winner-take-all single-member districts and a portion is allocated according to parties within multi-member constituencies.
B) a portion of seats is selected in winner-take-all single-member districts and a portion of seats is appointed by the president or regional governments.
C) seats in one chamber are filled through a winner-take-all system and seats in the other chamber are filled through a proportional representation system.
D) seats in one chamber are filled through a winner-take-all system and seats in the other chamber are filled by appointments.
E) only a portion of the legislature is ever up for election at any given time

Question 47

In Russia, a presidential veto can be overridden by

A) a two-thirds majority vote in both the Duma and the Federation Council.
B) a two-thirds majority vote in the Duma.
C) a two-thirds majority vote in the Duma and a simple majority in the Federation Council.
D) a simple majority vote in both the Duma and the Federation Council.
E) a two-thirds majority vote either the Duma or the Federation Council.

Question 48

Ethnic Russians make up about _________ percent of the population of Russia.

A) 50
B) 60
C) 90
D) 80
E) 40

Question 49

Members of the Duma are elected

A) through direct national elections that operate under first-pass-the-post (single member district-plurality) rules.
B) through direct national elections that operate under a mixed electoral system.
C) in staggered intervals so that only a portion of the chamber is up for reelection at any given time.
D) through national elections that operate under proportional representation.
E) through closed elections held by each party.

Question 50

Russian liberal/reform parties have

A) generally become marginalized since 2003.
B) been absorbed by A Just Russia.
C) united into a single party.
D) remained a powerful force in the Duma.
E) been outlawed by Putin.

Question 51

When one says that Russia suffers from a "resource curse," one means that

A) the country's rich deposits of natural resources shelter it from some disruption but also makes it difficult to untangle economic and political power.
B) the country lacks the necessary natural resources to develop economically.
C) the country's dependence on export revenue from energy resources makes it highly susceptible to boom-and-bust cycles.
D) the country has vast natural resources but lacks the capital to gain access to them.
E) the country's vast energy reserves are mainly located in areas that are difficult to get to.

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT a factor that helps to explain why United Russia has become the dominant political party in the country?

A) The party is strongly associated with Putin who is quite popular among Russians.
B) It is supported by prominent people including the heads of Russia's regions.
C) It has a rather poorly defined program that appeals to many across the political spectrum.
D) It is well organized at the local level.
E) All of these explain why United Russia has become the dominant party in the country.

Question 53

Which of the following statements about Russian political parties is NOT true?

A) Virtually all major parties have not challenged either political or economic reform, although they do differ over the pace and costs of these.
B) Regional parties, especially in those regions with large Muslim populations, have emerged to become important players in Russian politics but only at the regional level.
C) Russian political parties do not fit neatly on a left-right spectrum because nationalistic sentiments crosscut economic ideologies.
D) Because deeply rooted party identifications have yet to develop, parties appeal to transient voter sentiments.
E) Although the country maintains a competitive multiparty system, since 2003, a single party has emerged as the dominant party.

Question 54

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation

A) continues to be an important party in the country, although its success at the polls has steadily declined.
B) initially renamed itself the Socialist Party after the collapse of the Soviet Union but switched back to its original name.
C) has always controlled the Duma.
D) was initially outlawed after the collapse of the Soviet Union but was allowed to participate in politics shortly thereafter.
E) focuses on the social costs of market reform but generally supports it.

Question 55

Which of the following is NOT an example of Russia's restrictions on the role of interest groups?

A) Increased government supervision of such groups
B) Channeling public activism through official forums like the Civic Forum and the Public Chamber
C) Restricting the activities of foreign noncommercial nongovernmental organizations operating in the country
D) The arresting of prominent opposition figures
E) Not permitting independent trade unions to be formed

Question 56

Russia has sought to re-establish itself as a respected regional leader by

A) actively interfering in the internal politics of its neighbors.
B) establishing regional organizations to strengthen the relations between Russia and other former Soviet republics.
C) increasing trade with its neighboring former Soviet republics.
D) adopting stances at the United Nations that correspond to the interests of its neighbors.
E) joining the European Union.

Question 57

A Just Russia is best described as a

A) centrist party that was formed from above to help undermine opposition parties that might threaten United Russia.
B) nationalist party that was formed to counter the Liberal Democratic Party.
C) liberal/reform party that supports assertive Western-style market reform and political norms.
D) traditional left party that is highly critical of market reform.
E) unique party whose platform combines support for Western-style political norms and a criticism of the costs of economic reform.

Question 58

Sovereign democracy refers to the idea that

A) political sovereignty ultimately rests with the Russian people.
B) Russia is a sovereign and independent state.
C) democracy in Russia should be adapted to Russian traditions.
D) the sovereignty of the Russian people is best expressed through democratic means.
E) political power in Russia should be vested in a single sovereign at the national level.

Question 59

The Eurasian Union refers to

A) a trade union between Russia and China.
B) a customs union between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan that Russia envisions as growing into a political and economic organization, which will connect it to non-European Union countries.
C) a consultative body that unites former Soviet Republics.
D) a security pact between Russia and several Central Asian states.
E) a proposed economic and political union between Russia, the Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Question 60

Which statement about the Russian policy making process is NOT accurate?

A) Whereas societal groups and political parties had little input into the policy-making process during the Yeltsin era, this is no longer the case during the Putin-Medvedev era.
B) Whereas, during the Yeltsin era, oligarchs were able to exert considerable influence, this has not been the case during the Putin-Medvedev era.
C) Whereas, during the Yelstin era, conflict between the executive and the legislature made policy making contentious, the legislature has generally followed the executive's lead during the Putin-Medvedev era.
D) Whereas during the Yeltsin era, regional governors were able to exert considerable influence, this has not been the case during the Putin-Medvedev era.
E) Policy implementation has been a consistent problem.

Question 61

Russia may be said to have simultaneously begun four transitions-democratization, market reform, a redefinition of national identity, and integration into the world economy. Write an essay that provides a balance sheet as to Russia's status in each of these transitions. In which transition has Russia made the most progress? In which transition is Russia the weakest?

Question 62

How have executive-legislative relations changed in post-communist Russia? Have such changes strengthened or weakened democratization?

Question 63

Discuss the factors that have inhibited the development of strong competing political parties in post-communist Russia. Do you consider the development of strong parties to be important or not? How does the rise of United Russia to its current position as the dominant party affect your argument?

Question 64

How have center-periphery (national-regional) relations changed in post-communist Russia? What have been the political effects of this change? In light of this, can one argue that Russia is truly a federal system?

Question 65

Describe how the Russian government has sought to restrict or channel public activism.

Question 66

Describe how Russian social policies have changed since the collapse of communism.

Question 67

Describe some ways in which Russia's post-communist transitions have been similar to and different from those seen in other post-communist states.

Question 68

How have Russian leaders adapted their country's policies to their country's loss of superpower status? What have been the main policy directions Russia has taken to forge a new international role for itself?

Question 69

It may be argued that history has had a tremendous negative effect on Russia's political transition. Citing specific examples, illustrate how several historical factors have inhibited the development of democracy in Russia.

Question 70

Some argue that Russia should be described as having a "super-presidential" system given the power of the president.  First, describe the powers of the president, paying particular attention to how these can be used to affect other governmental bodies.  Next, assess the relative strength of the presidency vis-a-vis these bodies.  In light of this assessment, would you characterize Russia as a "super-presidential" system?