RUSSIA AND THE NEW STATES
Political Science 321
Fall 2007
Dr. Bilocerkowycz
Office: St. Joe's # 205
Office Hours: Mon. 4:30-5:30 and Wed. 4:30-5:30
or by appointment at a mutually convenient time
Office Phone: 229-2231 (with voice mail) or dept. secretary at 229-3626
E-mail address: Jaro.Bilocerkowycz@notes.udayton.edu
Homepage address: http://academic.udayton.edu/JaroBilocerkowycz/
(note posted webpage syllabus is NOT current)
Is Vladimir Putin a modern tsar or pragmatic democrat? What is the state of Russian democracy--stable, fragile, or non-existent? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Russian economy? How has Russia’s resurgent economy affected its foreign policy? What are the causes for the Russo-Chechen wars? What factors explain the “colored revolutions” in Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan? Can new states such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Kazakhstan remain stable and independent of Russia and why is that important to the US?
This course will analyze the numerous challenges and problems facing Russia, Ukraine, and the other successor states of the former USSR. These include the attempts to build democracy, move toward a market economy, consolidate state independence, and manage ethnic relations. These new states seek to overcome various aspects of their communist past and to cope with new hardships associated with system change. Russia and the new states are attempting an ambitious and multifaceted revolution, whose outcome will have far-reaching impact on the peoples of the area as well as the international community. Much attention will be given to the need for and problems of institutional and cultural change in the political and economic sectors, and the need for a practical definition of ethnic identity.
This course is part of the CROSS CULTURAL CLUSTER as it probes issues of cultural identity, values, and cultural interaction in the political, economic, and ethnic contexts. The goals of the Cross Cultural Cluster are to:
·Probe the major philosophical and social notions of how people from different cultures interact;
·Examine particular historical periods, including their own, to see important cross-cultural interactions;
·Understand better the religious and philosophical realities of different cultures and the interactions among these realities;
·Study the historical, social, educational, and psychological mechanisms, which control and manipulate cross-cultural interactions;
·Analyze significant and memorable works of literature and art which reveal depths of understanding of cultures and their interactions;
·Evaluate the importance of religions, gender roles, testing, poverty, discrimination, oppression and empowerment within specific cultures and in their interactions with others;
·Investigate the fundamental importance of the biological interchanges resulting from war and the human assault on the environment.
The Cluster is intended to build upon the Humanities Base:
·Students will begin to develop and formulate their own conception of what it means to be human.
·Students will understand how the humanities disciplines ultimately constitute an integrated pursuit of the same goals.
·Faculty and students will form a community of learners through the examination of selected texts and common themes.
·Students will develop a more critical understanding of Western culture and will be introduced to the richness of non-Western civilizations.
·Students will develop general level competencies in reading, writing, and information literacy in conjunction with the Competency Program.
Among the student learning outcomes--skills and abilities--this course seeks to promote are the following:
1. ability to understand and analyze the processes, politics, and problems of system
transition
2. knowledge of relevant concepts and developments
3. knowledge about diverse newly independent states and the challenges
they face
4. ability to do an independent research paper on a topic relevant to the
subject matter
Your course grade will be based on the following components:
Final exam 30% Dec. 14, 10:10-12:00 (Friday)
Research paper 30% due (in class) on Nov. 5 (Mon.)
Class participation 10%
(includes steady class attendance, active participation in class discussions, and timely completion of any other assignments given)
The exams will consist of essay questions and shorter answer items (identification, true/false). All are expected to be present for scheduled exams, if a serious illness or emergency causes you to miss an exam be sure to notify the instructor BEFORE the test and provide substantive documentation. (Missing an exam without prior notification and subsequent documentation may disqualify you from getting a makeup exam).
The research paper requirement (body of 10 pages typed) will be discussed in class at a later point, and you will receive a written hand-out concerning the term paper.
You are responsible for any announcements or assignments made in class whether or not you were in attendance that day. For any classes missed, you are encouraged to borrow a fellow classmate's notes and ask a classmate about any assignments given.
TEXTBOOKS:
Nadia Diuk and Adrian Karatnycky, New Nations Rising: The Fall of the Soviets and the Challenge of Independence (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1993).
Stephen White, Zvi Gitelman, and Richard Sakwa, Developments in Russian Politics 6 (Durham: Duke University Press, 2005).
Vladimir Putin, First Person (New York: Public Affairs, 2000).
Library Reserve materials for POL 321/Dr. Bilocerkowycz will be available via electronic reserve and on the first floor of the library in hard-copy version in the Reserve section. These materials will be organized in topical installments in accordance with the syllabus section headings/numbers
*Indicates articles found on library reserve (electronic & hard copy)
The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the syllabus when deemed advisable.
TOPIC
1. INTODUCTION AND ANALYTICAL MODELS
*Reshetar, The Soviet Polity, 336-373.
*Subtelny, "American Sovietology's Greatest Blunder: The Marginalization of the Nationality Issue," Nationalities Papers, Spring 1994, 141-155.
2. COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION
Diuk and Karatnycky, New Nations Rising, Chpts. 1 & 2.
3. EMERGENCE OF SUCCESSOR STATES
Diuk and Karatnycky, New Nations Rising, Chpt. 3 (Ukraine).
*Mace, "Famine and Nationalism in Soviet Ukraine," Problems of Communism, May-June, 1984, 37-50.
*Karatnycky, “Ukraine’s Orange Revolution,” Foreign Affairs, March/April 2005, 35-52.
*Wolf, “Inside the Orange Revolution,” Forum, 1-3.
*Kupchinsky, “Analysis: Typology of the Ukrainian Elections,” RFE/RL, April 4, 2006, 1-3.
*RFE/RL, “Ukraine: From Orange to Blue,” 1-5.
*BBC, Profile: V. Yushchenko, 1-2.
*BBC, Profile: V. Yanukovych, 1-2.
*Wilson, “Ukraine’s Crisis of Governance,” Forum, 1-4.
*Economist, “Ukraine’s Turmoil,” 1-3.
*BBC, “Q& A: Ukraine Political Crisis,” 1-3
*NYT, “Ukraine Rivals Agree on Election, Defusing Crisis,” 1-2.
*Maksymiuk, “Ukraine: New Elections for Old Contenders,” RFE/RL, Aug. 10, 2007, 1-3.
*Kuzio, “Is Ukraine Part of Europe’s Future?” Washington Quarterly, Summer 2006, 89-108.
*Maksymiuk, “Belarus: Whose Friend Now?” RFE/RL, 30 January 2007,
1-3.
*Yasmann, “Russia: A Belarusian Pawn on the Global Chessboard,” RFE/RL, 23 January 2007, 1-3.
Diuk and Karatnycky, New Nations Rising, Chpt. 4 (Baltic States).
*NYT, “E-stonia Accuses Russia of Computer Attacks,” 1-3.
*NYT, “War Fears Turn to Cyberspace in Estonia,” 1-5.
Diuk and Karatnycky, New Nations Rising, Chpt. 5 (Caucasus).
*Peuch, “Georgia/Russia: Base Deal,” RFE/RL, 31 May 2005, 1-3.
*AP, “FBI Says Grenade at Bush Rally Could Have Exploded,” 1-2.
*Allnut, “Georgia: Ulterior Motives Seen Behind Escalation of Spy Row,”
RFE/RL, 2 Oct. 2006, 1-3.
*RFE/RL, “Russia Says Georgia Sanctions Will Continue,” 1-2.
*Peuch, “Armenian Tragedy Remains on Europe’s Polt. Map,” RFE/RL, 22 April, 2005, 1-3.
Diuk and Karatnycky, New Nations Rising, Chpt. 6 (Central Asia).
*Fuller, “Central Asia: The Quest for Identity,” Current History, Apr. 1994, 45-49.
*Brill-Olcott, “Central Asia: Islamic Awakening,” Current History, Apr. 1994, 150-154.
*“Karimov Cracks Down,” Economist, 16 May 2005, 1-3.
*McGlinchey, “Autocrats, Islamists, and the Rise of Radicalism in Central Asia,” Current History, Oct. 2005, 336-342.
*Brill-Olcott, “The Great Powers in Central Asia,” Current History, Oct. 2005, 331-335.
*Peuch, “Turkmenistan: Still Waiting for Berdymukhammedov’s Thaw,” 27 April 2007, RFE/RL, 1-4.
4. A “NEW” RUSSIA: IDENTITY, CHECHNYA, AND FOREIGN POLICY
Diuk and Karatnycky, New Nations Rising, Chpt. 7 (Russia).
*Shensfield, "Post-Soviet Russia in Search of Identity," Chpt. 1, pp. 5-14 in
D. Blum, Russia's Future.
Sakwa, “Politics in Russia,” 1-17, in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
Light, “Foreign Policy,” 221-240 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
*Trenin, “Russia Leaves the West,” Foreign Affairs, July/August 2006, 87-96.
*Menon and Fuller, “Russia’s Ruinous Chechen War,” Foreign Affairs, March/April 2000, 32-44.
*Evangelista, “Chechnya’s Russia Problem,” Current History, Oct. 2003, 313-319.
* RFE/RL, “Beslan Mothers Say New Video Refutes Official Version,” 1-2.
Diuk and Karatnycky, New Nations Rising, Chpt. 8 and Afterword.
5. POLITICAL CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP
*Pipes, “Flight from Freedom: What Russians Think and Want,” Foreign Affairs, May-June 2004, 9-15.
Evans, “A Russian Civil Society?” 96-113, in Developments in Russian Politics 6
*Corwin, “Fledgling Youth Groups Worry Post-Soviet Authorities,” RFE/RL, 1-5.
*NYT, “Youth Groups Created by Kremlin Serve Putin’s Cause,” 1-5.
*Corwin, “Russia: Rock’s Revolutionary Influence,” RFE/RL, 12 June 2005, 1-3.
Oates, “Media and Political Communication,” 114-129, in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
*Morrison, Boris Yeltsin, Chpt. 4 (31-44).
*Economist, “Bye-Bye Boris,” 1-2.
*Knight and Ruble, “The Two Worlds of Vladimir Putin,” Wilson Quarterly,
Spring 2000, 32-41.
Putin, First Person, Chpts. 1-6.
6. CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES, INSTITUTIONS, AND THE MEDIA
*Thorson, "Russia's Draft Constitution," RFE/RL, Dec. 3, 1993, 7-15.
*President Expands Presidential Power" & "Text of Draft Constitution," CDSP, Dec. 8, 1993, 1-16.
Putin, First Person, Chpts. 7-9.
Willerton, “Putin and the Hegemonic Presidency,” 18-39 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
Remington, “Parliamentary Politics,” 40-60 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
Sharlet, “In Search of the Rule of Law,” 130-147 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
Hahn, “Reforming the Federation,” 148-167 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
7. POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTIONS
*Rudenshiold, "Political Party Development in Russia," Chpt. 2 in Blum, Russia's Future.
White, “Political Parties,” 80-95 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
McFaul, “The Electoral System,” 61-79 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
Gitelman, “Democratization of Russia in Comparative Perspective,” 241-256 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
*Russian Election Watch (Duma Election), Jan. 2004, 1-14.
*Russian Election Watch (Pres. Election), March 2004, 1-12.
*Piontkovsky, “Putin Model is Doomed to Fail,” WSJ, Mar. 15, 2004, 1-2.
8. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL TRANSITION
*Prybyla, "The Road from Socialism," Problems of Communism, Jan.-Apr. 1991, 1-17.
Rutland, “Putin’s Economic Record” 186-203 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
*Handleman, “The Russian Mafiya,” Foreign Affairs, March-April 1994, 83-96.
*Schleifer and Treisman, “A Normal Country,” Foreign Affairs, Mar-Apr. 2004, 20-38.
*Olcott, “Reforming Russia’s Tycoons,” Foreign Policy, May/June 2002, 66-75.
Twigg, “Social Policy in Post-Soviet Russia,” 204-220 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
9. REGIONALISM
Slider, “Politics in the Regions,” 168-185 in Developments in Russian Politics 6.
10. CONCLUSION