RussiaErin, Leah, Lisa

Russian Executives President limit of 2 consecutive 4-yr terms

◦ Head of state◦ Hard to impeach◦ Decrees◦ Majorcan election◦ Power to dissolve

Prime Minister=Chairman of the gov’t of the Russian Federation◦ Appointed by president ◦ If not approved by State Duma 3x, chairman is appointed

and new elections are called Government =primer minister, 2 first deputy prime

ministers, seven deputy prime ministers and 17 ministers

Vladimir PutinCurrent Prime Minister President from 1999 to 2008

President since 2008

• Former KGB officer– 1985 - Undercover in East Germany

• Quickly ascended in politics– 1999 - Named acting president

• Elected President in 2000– Challenges oligarchs and is tough on

Chechnya• Approval ratings at 83%

• Elected President in 2004– Prosecutes oligarchs – Crackdown on media freedom

• Appointed Prime Minister in 2008– June ’09 pulls out of talks with WTO and EU

All About Putin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV4IjHz2yIo

A Multi-talented Leader

Legitimacy of 2007 parliamentary elections◦Opposition excluded from

mass media, freedom of assembly was restricted

◦ International organizations didn’t monitor or recognize the elections

2008 Presidential Elections

Questioning Legitimacy

Former Soviet leader Gorbachev criticized Putin and Medvedev for choosing who will run for president◦“incredibly deceitful”

and disrespectful to voters Should be decided by

those who cast ballots

2012 Elections

Medvedev introduces reforms in 2009◦ Lower the number of

police officers by 20% and raise salaries

New provisions would restrict officer’s speech

Important amendments regarding beating women and privacy were not passed

Militsia to Politsia

Only 19% of Russians said they thought the police would improve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0ekAn8fp6E

Politsia Reform Debate

Past Winter Paralympic Mascots

Past Winter Olympic Mascots

Sochi 2014 Olympic Mascots

Misha 1980 Moscow Mascot

Untied Russia—Putin’s Party

Sochi 2014Paralympic Mascots

Preparation Licensing began Oct. 2009 Royality fees=funding Security

◦ Moscow’s Domodedovo airport Jan.◦ Feb 18th Kabardino-Balkaria region; Northern

Caucauses 5 killed in shooting Cable car bombed 3 diffused bombs 185 miles tourism

◦ Caucuses ◦ Caucasus Emirate

Sochi Sochi black sea resort "hot snow“ 74 test events Infrastructure Chechnya to east

Doku Umarov Cheynen Rebel Leader 24 January 2011 airport Nov. 2010 train 2007 connected

movement w/internatinional ilsamist movement

Putin: Legitimacy v. Authority- Does Putin deserve to be President again?

Does he have the authority?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vkHdIWzdkY

- Which is more valuable: Medvedev’s authority or Putin’s legitimacy?

- How has Russia’s history of tsars and personified autocrats influenced its current political situation?