Russian Government

Sylabus

Course: Russian Government

Course Code: PM208

Academic Year 2010/2011

Winter Semester

Mondays 15:30-16:50

Seminar room: J1031

Lecturer: Mgr. Markéta Žídková, Ph.D., M.A.

Office hours: Mondays 14:00-15:00, room J3099 e-mail: [e-mail]

Mailbox: IPS secretariat, building A, Jinonice campus

Common e-mail address at www.seznam.cz: [e-mail], password: kremlinkremlin

E-mail address for essays: [e-mail]

STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO GO THROUGH THIS SYLLABUS CAREFULLY

BEFORE THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

COURSE GOALS

The aim of this course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of political developments in post-communist Russia (since 1991), with a glance backward to the decline of the former Soviet Union. It discusses problems of the transition from authoritarianism to democracy. The course stresses problems of the current Russian regime. Students should be able to describe and analyze issues arising from institutional and constitutional development, territorial devolution, economic reform and political transition. Current political and economic development is discussed.

LECTURES and SEMINARS

Lectures and seminars: every Monday, 15:30-16:50. A list of lecture topics is attached below. Seminars should focus in detail on issues arising from lectures; in addition to that, current political and economic issues will be discussed. Seminars require preparation in advance. All students are expected to have completed allocated readings and/or assignments before the seminar.

ASSESSMENT

Assessment will be based on one oral presentation, an essay, and a 75-minute final exam.

The final grade is a combination of the following items:

Presentation & essay: 40%

Final exam: 60%

STUDENTS MUST PASS BOTH in order to pass the course!

REQUIREMENTS

S e m i n a r s

Advise and feedback will take place in seminars and in the lecturer?s office hours (see above).

All students, whether or not they are giving a presentation, are expected to prepare so that they can participate fully in the subsequent discussion of the topic. Students are required to participate in seminars. They can be absent for two times per semester.

P r e s e n t a t i o n & E s s a y C r i t e r i a

The presentation and the essay accounts for 40% of the total grade. Each student should become a part of one student group and give one formal presentation, which should last about 20 minutes. Please, make sure that you come to the seminar the day when your presentation is due. Either a powerpoint presentation or a detailed handout is required. All groups/presenters are asked to send their powerpoints or/and handouts to the common e-mail address and place it to the file "Presentations". Any presenter who cannot come the day of his/her presentation must inform the lecturer at least 48 hours in advance (see the e-mail address above, i.e. [e-mail]). You should provide the lecturer with a substantial reason (illness etc.) for your absence.

Students will choose their seminar presentation topics. Presentation (i.e. essay) topics will be allocated during the first session on October 4. All students must discuss their presentation/essay topics with the lecturer no later than October 11.

These presentations are to be written up in an essay form after the session and handed in as a part of the coursework assessment. The essay should be based on the presentation topic and handed in as an individual work within next two weeks after the presentation date. Please, note that you (your group) may be asked to present your work at other (later) seminar. Extensions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances (illness etc.) and will be for maximum of two weeks. Any essays handed in after the due date, including any period of extension, will be marked at zero. The very last essays need to be submitted by Monday, January 3, 2010.

The essay should be between 2,200-2,500 words in length, typed on both sides of paper, 1,5-spaced, and must include references and bibliography related to the topic. Students are asked to submit both the electronic version (to [e-mail]) as well as the hard copy of the presentation (in person or use the mailbox - see above).

Further instructions:

- Keep the deadline

- Always keep a copy of your essay.

- Do not forget to put your name, the title of the course and the title of the presentation/essay on the cover sheet of your submitted work.

- Even though your presentaton is a group work, you are obliged to submit your individual essay!

- As for the e-version: send your essay as an e-mail attachment to [e-mail]; the e-mail subject should include: 1) your SURNAME, 2) the ESSAY TITLE. Please, note: there will be no reply to your e-mail. In case you wish to contact the lecturer with a question, do it during her office hours (see above) or via her private e-mail ([e-mail]).

Both the oral presentation as well as the following essay should reflect an intellectual mastery of the topic, good structure, good presentation, etc. The student focuses on the articles given by the lecturer, however, she/he is strongly encouraged to add different important information from other relevant articles related to the topic. The essay must have a good structure, it must include information from more (academic) articles dealing with the topic and it should provide the reader with analysis of the problem. It must include references and a full bibliography.

The essays will be marked by grades Excellent (1), Very good (2), Good (3); Inadequate (fail) (4).

F i n a l E x a m

The final exam accounts for 60% of the total grade. A 60-minute final exam will take place in room J1031 on Monday, January 3, 2011, at 18:00 o?clock. Students will be asked to take a multiple-choice test. In addition to that, they will be required to choose two topics out of three and write a short (400-500 words each) text on the chosen topics. Both the text topics and the multiple choice questions will be carefully chosen from the lectures, required reading and presentations.

The Final Exam will be marked by grades Excellent (1), Very good (2), Good (3); Inadequate (fail) (4).

In case you have a very serious reason for not taking the Final Exam on January 3, you may take the exam on Monday, January 31, 18:00. In this case, please note: this is your (everybody´s) second term.

The third (i.e. very last) term will be organized only at the beginning of the spring semester (late February /beginning of March 2010).

F i n a l G r a d e

Final grades will be available within next 10 days after the Final exam. Your grade will be put into the university "SIS-Tajemnik" e-system. Each student should check her/his result via this system. In case you have any objections or questions, contact the lecturer via e-mail.

The Final Grade has the following form: Excellent (1), Very good (2), Good (3); Inadequate (fail) (4).

A BRIEF COURSE OVERVIEW

Lectures 4 Oct (1): Introduction to module 11 Oct (2): The Soviet legacy and the beginning of the transition/democratization 18 Oct (3): Russian Government - chronological and descriptive overview 25 Oct (4): The politics of institutional/constitutional development I 1 Nov (5): The politics of institutional/constitutional development II 8 Nov (6): The politics of Russian Federalism I 15 Nov (7): The politics of Russian Federalism II 22 Nov (8): Reading - no class 29 Nov: Reading - no class. 6 Dec (9): The politics of economic reform I 13 Dec (10): The politics of economic reform II 20 Dec (11): Current political system of Russia. Course wrap-up and feedback. 3 Jan 2011 (13): Final exam

Seminars

Seminars follow the lectures; they should last at least 30 minutes of each session. The main seminar topics are listed below. Appropriate reading is also listed and additional sources will be distributed when appropriate. Prior to the seminar, students are asked to check the common e-mail address, where urgent information as well as possible additional reading will be placed.

Students will choose their seminar presentation topics. Presentation (i.e. essay) topics will be allocated during the first session on October 4. All students must discuss their presentation/essay topics with the lecturer no later than October 11. Please, come to discuss issues during the consultation time, not before the class. Students are encouraged to come to discuss their presentations in advance.

Students are required to participate in seminars. They can be absent for two times per semester.

COURSE READING

Required Course Reading

Articles:

SHEVTSOVA, Lilia: What is the matter with Russia? Journal of Democracy, January 2010, Volume 21, Number 1. http://www.carnegie.ru/en/pubs/media/83887.htm (CD-ROM)

Geľman. Vladimir: Leviathan´s return: the policy of recentralization in contemporary Russia. In ROSS, C. - CAMPBELL, A.: Federalism and Local Politics in Russia. 2009, pp. 1-24.

HALE, Henry E. - COLTON, Timothy: Russians the the Putin-Medvedev ´Tandemocracy´. A survey-based portrait of 2007-08 election season. (CD-ROM)

GADDY, Clifford G. - KUCHINS, Andrew C.: Putin´s Plan. Project MUSE, The Washington Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 2, Spring 2008, s. 117-129. http://www.twq.com/08spring/docs/08spring_gaddy.pdf (also: CD-ROM)

Books:

SAKWA, Richard: Russian Politics and Society. LONDON, New York, Routlegde 2002, 3rd edition. (Jinonice library).

SHEVTSOVA, Lilia: Putin´s Russia. 2003. (Jinonice library).

ROSS, Cameron: Russian politics under Putin. Manchester, New York, Manchester University Press 2004. (Jinonice library).

Recommended Course Reading (Jinonice library)

SHEVTSOVA, L.: Yeltsin´s Russia: Myths and Reality. 1999.

SAKWA, R.: Putin: Russia´s choice. 2004.

KAGARLITSKY, B.: Russia under Yeltsin and Putin. 2002.

HERSPRING, D. R. (ed.): Putin´s Ru

Anotace

Kurz seznamuje studenty se základní problematikou politického vývoje v postsovětském Rusku (od roku 1991), s krátkým zpětným hodnocením období úpadku socialistické éry. Kurz diskutuje problémy tranzice, věnuje se nejdůležitějším mezníkům Jelcinovy a Putinovy éry, srovnává je.

Režim zavedený V. Putinem je diskutován na mnoha příkladech z politiky, ekonomie a společnosti.

Kromě jiného jsou zmíněna témata elit, federace, ústavního pořádku, ekonomických a politických reforem, resp. změn Putinova režimu, jakož též vývoj války v Čečensku a dopad konfliktu na severní Kavkaz, resp. celoruskou bezpečnost a společnost.