Russian and Post-Soviet Politics Political Science 786 Syracuse University Prof. Brian Taylor Fall 2008
Classroom: MAX315 Office: 531 Eggers Class time: T 6:30-9:15 Office Hours: W 3-4, TH 10-11 or by appointment E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 443-3713
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is a graduate-level survey of the major issues in contemporary politics in the post- Soviet region in general, and Russia in particular. The seminar will briefly examine the pre- Soviet and Soviet period, but the primary focus of the course is on developments since 1991. Topics to be examined include state collapse and state formation, political and institutional change, the politics of economic reform, and the domestic determinants of foreign policy. This is a course in comparative politics, so we are most interested in understanding domestic developments in Russia and other post-Soviet states, and what these developments tell us about classic issues of comparative analysis, such as the sources of political change, the consequences of different institutional arrangements, and state-society relations.
READINGS
There are 6 required books for the class. These books are available for purchase at University Bookstore and Follett’s Orange Bookstore.
Marshall Poe, The Russian Moment in World History (Princeton University Press, 2003).
Stephen Kotkin, Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse 1970-2000 (Oxford University Press, 2001).
Vadim Volkov, Violent Entrepreneurs: The Use of Force in the Making of Russian Capitalism (Cornell University Press, 2002).
Dale R. Herspring, ed., Putin’s Russia: Past Imperfect, Future Uncertain, 3rd Edition (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007).
M. Steven Fish, Democracy Derailed in Russia: The Failure of Open Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2005).
Marc Morjé Howard, The Weakness of Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe (Cambridge University Press, 2003).
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The other readings for the class are journal articles or book chapters. Many of the journal articles are available through e-journals on the library website; in each case I have noted which version you should use (PDF preferable). I strongly encourage you to print these materials out, rather than reading them on-line (2 on 1, 2-sided will save lots of paper). You are much more likely to digest and remember the material if you underline/highlight, make notes in the margins, etc. Articles or book chapters that are not available through e-journals will be distributed in class. You should bring the relevant readings to class each week in case you or someone else refers to a specific argument in one of the texts.
Note that the readings for each week are listed in the order in which I recommend you read them. This is not an indication of their importance, but there is a logic to how the readings fit together.
I would also strongly recommend that those of you interested in current developments in the post-Soviet area sign up for the free email bulletins from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The option most relevant to this course is the weekly RFE/RL Russia Report. There are also specialized bulletins on other parts of the former Soviet Union. See: http://www.rferl.org/subscribe.aspx. Other options worth checking out include Russian Analytical Digest and, for the true obsessive, Johnson’s Russia List.
COURSE EXPECATIONS AND GRADING
1) Attendance and Participation
This course is a seminar; attendance and participation are essential. Each student is expected to complete all the readings each week and to contribute to the seminar discussion. You should bring the week’s readings to class. Additionally, by 1:00 on Tuesday each student should email me 2 questions about the week’s readings. These should be no more than a paragraph long, and should focus on some of the key themes of the readings. Possible questions can be about how the readings relate to each other, how they relate to other things you have read, aspects of the reading that are unclear, how the readings would apply to real world issue X, why you think author Y is an idiot, etc. Failure to turn in questions on time will affect your participation grade. Turning in poorly thought out questions in a rush just to fulfill the letter of the assignment definitely will be noticed. Class participation will be 20 percent of your grade; you will be graded both on the quantity and quality of your participation. Active participation is encouraged; however, frequent tangents can lower your participation grade.
2) Research Paper
Each student will write a medium-length (about 15 pages, double-spaced, normal fonts and margins) research paper. I am open to a variety of paper types and topics, depending on the interests and background of the student. The one minimum standard is that the paper have SOMETHING to do with a Eurasian country or countries (by which I mean primarily post-Soviet states). You are encouraged to consult with me about your paper topic as early and as often as you like (OK, within reason). Although the range of topics is virtually unlimited, it should be specific enough that you can do the topic justice in the space allotted. For example, a paper on
2 “The Role of Islam in the Chechen War” is better than “The Chechen War.” PhD students are expected to use some social science theory.
The paper assignment has several stages.
You should email me with a proposed topic by September 19. This email can be one or two sentences.
A 1-page prospectus is due in class on October 7. The prospectus should indicate what question you intend to address, in a paragraph or two, and how you intend to answer it. You must include a preliminary list of sources. The sources should include some academic sources (books and journal articles), not just press and web sources.
The completed paper is due in class November 25. The paper is expected to be a scholarly paper, with all that the phrase entails: footnotes/citations, bibliography, a coherent structure, and familiarity with relevant literature. Papers must be typed or word-processed. Be sure to proofread and spell-check the paper, and to number the pages. Your essay should also have a cover-sheet. You can use any standard citation style (footnotes, endnotes, embedded citations) you like, as long as you are consistent.
Both the mechanics and the content of a paper are important. I expect correct usage and grammar, proper documentation of sources, topic sentence and transitions, a coherent theme and structure, etc. Aspects of a good paper that are important include: a clear introduction with a strong thesis statement, the logical use of supporting evidence, attention to possible counter- arguments, and an effective conclusion. Breaking the paper into sections will usually make a paper clearer and easier to read.
Handing in any of the stages of the paper late, including the topic and prospectus, will affect your overall paper grade. Late papers will be graded down 1/3 letter grade for each day that they are late. Computer problems (disk failure, unable to find a printer, etc.), or other reasons/excuses of a similar nature, are not acceptable excuses for a late paper. A hard copy should be handed in.
Any paper that is based entirely on Internet and journalistic sources will not receive a grade higher than B- unless you make a compelling case in advance (either attached to your prospectus, or via e-mail) that there are NO relevant books or academic articles on your topic. You should be familiar with how to use library resources, such as ProQuest Research Library, JSTOR, First Search, PAIS, Wilson Full Text, etc., to search for articles and books. If not, please seek help from a librarian. Even a well-structured search on Google Scholar (not plain Google) can be helpful. I will prepare a handout on possible sources later in the semester.
I strongly advise you to begin working on it well in advance of the due date. Papers written at the last minute are unlikely to be your best work. The paper will count for 30 percent of your final grade.
3 3) Presentations
Two class sessions (November 18 and 25) are reserved for student presentations on their papers. This is a chance for you to tell the class what you have learned, and for us to benefit from your research. The length of the presentations will depend upon final enrollment in the class, but will be somewhere in the 10-15 minute range, with further time for questions.
The presentation should state your question, your thesis, and summarize some of the evidence used to support the thesis. The presentations will be graded on clarity, preparedness, content, and length (i.e., neither too long nor too short). If you choose to use PowerPoint, I would caution not to overdo it, particularly by making slides too busy, cluttered, or wordy, or by having too many slides for the allotted time. Your presentation will count for 5 percent of your final grade.
4) Exams
There are two exams for this course. Both of them will be take home exams in which you will have 5-7 days to complete the essay(s). The “midterm,” which is nowhere near the middle of the term, will be handed out after class on September 9 and will be due on September 15 at noon. It will have one question and the length of your answer will be in the 5-7 page range.
The final will be distributed after the final class session and will have several questions about post-Soviet Russian politics. The total length will be in the 10-15 page range. It will be due on December 9 at 4:00 p.m.
Both exams will be based on the course readings and will not require further research. Late exams will be penalized. Please hand in a paper with your ID number only, no name, so I can grade them “blind.” Hard copies please.
The midterm is worth 15 percent of your final grade, and the final is worth 30 percent.
SUMMARY
Grades will be based on the following:
Class Participation 20% Research Paper 30% Research Presentation 5% Midterm 15% Final 30%
COURSE POLICIES
Class communication: Probably the easiest way to reach me with brief questions is via e-mail, or grabbing me before or after class. More lengthy or detailed issues are probably best discussed during office hours. All of you are expected to check your Maxwell email address regularly. I
4 will often email course information to you, as well as the occasional newspaper/journal article of particular relevance.
Academic misconduct: Syracuse University's Academic Integrity Policies and Procedures state that:
At Syracuse University, academic integrity is expected of every community member in all endeavors. Academic integrity includes a commitment to the values of honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, and respect…. An individual’s academic dishonesty threatens and undermines the central mission of the University. It is unfair to other community members who do not cheat, because it devalues efforts to learn, to teach, and to conduct research. Academic dishonesty interferes with moral and intellectual development, and poisons the atmosphere of open and trusting intellectual discourse.
Violations of these principles include giving or receiving aid where otherwise prohibited, fraud, plagiarism, the falsification or forgery of any record, or any other deceptive act in connection with academic work. Plagiarism is the representation of another's words, ideas, opinions, or other products of work as one's own, either overtly or by failing to attribute them to their true source. You should be familiar with what academic misconduct and plagiarism are, with School and University rules and procedures on academic misconduct, and possible sanctions. The University’s Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures are at: http://academicintegrity.syr.edu.
I strongly recommend that you visit the website Plagiarism.org [http://www.plagiarism.org] and read the sections on “What is plagiarism,” “Types of Plagiarism,” and “Planning Your Paper.” A failure to develop good research and writing habits can negatively affect both your academic and professional career. University rules against plagiarism and academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced in this class. I take this VERY seriously.
Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
Students who are in need of disability-related academic accommodations must register with the Office of Disability Services (ODS), 804 University Avenue, Room 309, 315-443-4498. Students with authorized disability-related accommodations should provide a current Accommodation Authorization Letter from ODS to the instructor and review those accommodations with the instructor. Accommodations, such as exam administration, are not provided retroactively; therefore, planning for accommodations as early as possible is necessary.
Religious holidays: In accordance with SU policy, I will excuse any absences that result from religious observances, provided that you notify me in advance of the planned absence.
5 IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Midterm Due September 15 Email Regarding Paper Topic September 19 Paper Prospectus October 7 Student Presentations November 18 & 25 Research Paper Due November 25 Final Due December 9
COURSE SCHEDULE AND READINGS (Note: the readings are listed in the order in which they should be read.)
August 26: Introduction
This meeting is primarily administrative, and a chance to get acquainted. We will also do a couple of short exercises to assess the state of our individual and collective knowledge about Russia and the Former Soviet Union.
September 2: Historical and International Context
Readings:
Charles Tilly, “War Making and State Making as Organized Crime,” in Peter Evans, Dietrich Rueschemeyer, and Theda Skocpol,, eds., Bringing the State Back In (Cambridge University Press, 1985), 169-191. [Distributed in Class]
Marshall Poe, The Russian Moment in World History, entire.
Andrew Janos, “What Was Communism? A Retrospective in Comparative Analysis,” Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 29, 1 (1006), 1-24. [E-Journals – Elsevier SD Pergamon]
September 9: The Soviet Collapse
Readings:
Stephen Kotkin, Armageddon Averted, 1-112, 171-185.
Valerie Bunce, “Federalism, Nationalism, and Secession: The Communist and Postcommunist Experience,” in Ugo Amoretti and Nancy Bermeo, eds. (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004), 417-440. [Distributed in Class]
Daniel Thomas, “Human Rights Ideas, the Demise of Communism, and the End of the Cold War,” Journal of Cold War Studies, 7, 2 (Spring 2005), 110-141. [E-Journals – Project Muse]
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TAKE-HOME MIDTERM EXAM PASSED OUT AT END OF CLASS AND DUE ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 AT 12:00
September 16: The Russian State in the 1990s
Readings:
Max Weber, excerpt from “Politics as a Vocation,” in Gerth and Mills, eds., From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology (Oxford University Press, 1946), 77-83. [Distributed in Class]
Vadim Volkov, Violent Entrepreneurs, entire.
Stephen Kotkin, Armageddon Averted, 142-170.
SEPTEMBER 19: EMAIL ON PAPER TOPIC DUE
September 23: Russian Society in the 1990s
Readings:
Robert Putnam, Making Democracy Work (Princeton University Press, 1993), 163-185. [Distributed in Class]
Marc Howard, The Weakness of Civil Society, entire.
James L. Gibson, “Social Networks, Civil Society, and the Prospects for Consolidating Russia's Democratic Transition,” American Journal of Political Science, 45, 1 (Jan. 2001), 51-68. [E-Journals – JSTOR]
September 30: Eid ul-Fitr, no class
October 7: The “Transition” to “Democracy”
ONE PAGE PAPER PROSPECTUS DUE IN CLASS
Readings:
Thomas Carothers, “The End of the Transition Paradigm,” Journal of Democracy, 13, 1 (January 2002), 5-21. [E-Journals – Project Muse]
Taras Kuzio, “Transition in Post-Communist States: Triple or Quadruple?,” Politics, 21, 3 (2001), pp. 168-177. [E-Journals – Wiley Interscience Blackwell]
7 Freedom House, “Freedom in the World 2008: Russia,” available at: www.freedomhouse.org. [Go to the homepage, then Freedom in the World, then 2008, then Russia. You can then print out a copy of the 5 page report on Russia. You may also be interested in the longer, 20 page Freedom House 2008 report on Russia available in the “Nations in Transit” section of their site.]
Steven Fish, Democracy Derailed, 1-29, 82-113, 193-245.
Dale Herspring, “Introduction,” and Richard Sakwa, “Putin’s Leadership,” in Dale Herspring, Putin’s Russia, 1-35.
October 14: Electoral Politics: Parties and Voters
Readings:
Timothy Colton, “Putin and the Attenuation of Russian Democracy,” and Thomas Remington, “Putin, the Parliament, and the Party System,” in Dale Herspring, Putin’s Russia, 37-73.
Steven Fish, Democracy Derailed, 30-81.
Vladimir Gel’man, “Party Politics in Russia: From Competition to Hierarchy,” Europe-Asia Studies, 60, 6 (August 2008), 913-930. [E-Journals – Informaworld]
Ian McAllister and Stephen White, “'It's the Economy, Comrade!' Parties and Voters in the 2007 Russian Duma Election,” Europe-Asia Studies, 60, 6 (August 2008), 931-957. [E- Journals – Informaworld]
Victor Yasmann and Donald Jensen, “Putin’s Choice: A Profile of Dmitry Medvedev,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, March 23, 2008. [http://rfe.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/03/65f30de2-1e60-4107- 949ae643e5132e87.html]
Nikolay Petrov, “Elections in the Post-Soviet Space: A Comparative Analysis of Russian, Kazakh, and Ukrainian Parliamentary Elections,” PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No. 36, August 2008. [available at: http://ceres.georgetown.edu/esp/ponarsmemos/]
October 21: The Politics of Economic Reform
Readings:
Stephen Kotkin, Armageddon Averted, 113-141.
Steven Fish, Democracy Derailed, 114-192.
William Tompson, “Putting Yukos in Perspective,” Post-Soviet Affairs, 21, 2 (April-June 2005), 159-181. [E-Journals – MetaPress]
8 Peter Rutland, “Putin's Economic Record: Is the Oil Boom Sustainable?”, Europe-Asia Studies, 60, 6 (August 2008), 1051-1072. [E-Journals – Informaworld]
Andrew Barnes, “Medvedev's Oil: The Burdens of Great Wealth and the Potential for Coping with Them,” PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No. 31, August 2008. [available at: http://ceres.georgetown.edu/esp/ponarsmemos/]
Optional:
James Millar, “Putin and the Economy,” and Stephen Wegren, “Putin and Agriculture,” in Dale Herspring, Putin’s Russia, 127-169.
October 28: Federalism and Regional Politics; Ethnic Conflict and the North Caucasus
Readings:
“Understanding Russian Regionalism,” Problems of Post-Communism, 54, 2 (March-April 2007), 72-74. [E-Journals -- MasterFile Select]
Alfred Stepan, “Russian Federalism in Comparative Perspective,” Post-Soviet Affairs, 16, 2 (April-June 2000), 133-176. [Distributed in Class]
Nikolai Petrov and Darrell Slider, “Putin and the Regions,” in Dale Herspring, Putin’s Russia, 75-97.
Cameron Ross, “Federalism and Electoral Authoritarianism under Putin,” Demokratizatsiya, Vol. 13, No. 3 (Summer 2005), 347-371. [E-Journals – ProQuest]
James Hughes, Chechnya: From Nationalism to Jihad (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007), 162-197. [Distributed in Class]
Brian Taylor, “Putin’s ‘Historic Mission:’ State Building and the Power Ministries in the North Caucasus,” Problems of Post-Communism, 54, 6 (November-December 2007), 3-15. [E- Journals – MasterFile Select]
Mark Kramer, “Prospects for Islamic Radicalism and Violent Extremism in the North Caucasus and Central Asia,” PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No. 28, August 2008. [available at: http://ceres.georgetown.edu/esp/ponarsmemos/]
Optional: PhD students with a particular interest in theories of federalism may be interested in:
Brian D. Taylor, “Force and Federalism: Controlling Coercion in Federal Hybrid Regimes.” Comparative Politics, 39, 4 (July 2007), 421-440.
9 November 4: The Power Ministries and the Law
Readings:
Review Chapter 5 of Volkov, Violent Entrepreneurs.
Brian Taylor, Russia’s Power Ministries: Coercion and Commerce (Syracuse: Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism, Syracuse University, 2007). [Distributed in Class]
Kathryn Hendley, “Putin and the Law,” and Dale Herspring, “Putin and Military Reform,” in Dale Herspring, Putin’s Russia, 99-124, 173-194.
Zoltan Barany, “Civil-Military Relations and Institutional Decay: Explaining Russian Military Politics” Europe-Asia Studies, 60, 4 (June 2008), pp. 581-604. [E-Journals, Informaworld]
Recommended:
Pavel Baev, “Medvedev and the Military: Reshuffling as a Preamble for Reform?,” PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No. 22, August 2008. [available at: http://ceres.georgetown.edu/esp/ponarsmemos/]
November 11: Foreign Policy
Readings:
Andrei Tsygankov, “Putin and Foreign Policy,” in Dale Herspring, Putin’s Russia, 195-217.
Celeste Wallander, “The Domestic Sources of a Less-than-Grand Strategy,” Strategic Asia 2007- 2008: Grand Strategy and Domestic Politics (National Bureau of Asian Research, 2007), 138-175. [Distributed in class]
Richard Sakwa, “'New Cold War' or twenty years' crisis? Russia and international politics,” International Affairs, 84, 2 (2008), pp. 241-267. [E-Journals – Wiley Interscience Blackwell]
Stephen Cohen, “The New American Cold War,” The Nation, 10 July 2006. [available at: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060710/cohen, with a new, June 2007 introduction]
Jeffrey Mankoff, “Russian Foreign Policy and the United States After Putin,” Problems of Post- Communism, 55, 4 (July-August 2008), 42-51. [E-Journals -- MasterFile Select]
George Khelashvili, “Ideological Aspects of Georgian-U.S.-Russian Relations,” PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No. 17, August 2008. [available at: http://ceres.georgetown.edu/esp/ponarsmemos/]
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November 18: Student Research Presentations
Presenters:
November 25: Student Research Presentations
RESEARCH PAPER DUE IN CLASS
Presenters:
December 2: Whither Russia?
Readings:
Stephen Kotkin, Armageddon Averted, 185-196.
Andrei Shleifer and Daniel Treisman, “A Normal Country,” Foreign Affairs, 83, 2 (March/April 2004), 20-38. [E-Journals, EBSCO]
Steven Fish, Democracy Derailed, 246-272.
Dale Herspring, “Conclusion,” in Dale Herspring, Putin’s Russia, 219-224.
Stephen Hanson, “The Uncertain Future of Russia’s Weak State Authoritarianism,” Eastern European Politics and Societies, 21, 1 (February 2007), 67-81. [E-Journals, Sage]
Michael McFaul and Kathryn Stoner-Weiss, “The Myth of the Authoritarian Model: How Putin's Crackdown Holds Russia Back,” Foreign Affairs, 87, 1 (Jan/Feb 2008), 68-84. [E- Journals, EBSCO]
Kathryn Stoner-Weiss, “Putin and Medvedev,” Current History, October 2008, forthcoming.
FINAL EXAM WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT THE END OF CLASS AND WILL BE DUE DECEMBER 9 BY 4:00 P.M.
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