YORK UNIVERSITY Department of Political Science POLS A POST COMMUNIST TRANSFORMATIONS: CAN EAST BECOME WEST? Fall 2014

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1 YORK UNIVERSITY Department of Political Science POLS A POST COMMUNIST TRANSFORMATIONS: CAN EAST BECOME WEST? Fall 2014 Wednesdays: 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Founders College 104 Instructor: Glenn Goshulak Office: South Ross Office hours: TBA This course examines political, economic and social aspects of the ongoing transformation of former communist countries of Russia, Eurasia and Eastern Europe. In the twentieth century, these countries, starting with Russia, were involved in the attempts to create a new civilization, which would supersede capitalism. In the middle of the century, communism looked like the wave of the future. However, by the century s end, the historical experiment in Russia and Eastern Europe unravelled in an unexpected sequence of dramatic events, when Mikhail Gorbachev s reforms of the Soviet system unleashed the forces of radical change, which proved lethal to the communist regimes. The fall of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe in was hailed by many observers as a triumph of freedom. Building new politico economic systems, however, remains a daunting challenge. The experiments with transplanting Western models of market economics and liberal democracy into East European societies have so far produced only limited successes and in only a few countries. The vast majority of people living in post communist societies have been victimized by economic and social deprivation, civil wars, corruption and crime, while the main benefits of change are enjoyed by narrow elites. This course, while focusing primarily on the transformation of Russia, will also look at other issues of transformation: the relationship of the region to NATO and the EU; nationalism; and the special case of the Central Asian republics. *This course syllabus has been adapted from a previous syllabus with the kind permission of Professor Plekhanov All readings for this course are available through eresources on the York University library website or online. Course Requirements Reading Analyses (2) 15% Class presentation or short essay 20% Research paper 30% Exam 25% Participation 10%

2 S C H E D U L E O F C L A S S E S September 10 INTRODUCTION PART ONE. COMMUNISM AND POST COMMUNISM September 17 EAST EUROPEAN COMMUNISM AND ITS COLLAPSE. Soviet and East European communist regimes: why they emerged, what kept them going, and why they collapsed. Required readings: White, Stephen. Communism and its Collapse. Routledge, 2001, Chapters 1 3 (ebook: York library) Communism. The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6 th edition, *Chirot, Daniel (ed.). The Origins of Backwardness in Eastern Europe: Economics and Politics from the Middle Ages until the Early Twentieth Century. University of California Press, 1989, Chapters 1,2,7 (ebook) September 24 THE LOGIC OF TRANSITION Required readings: Gowan, Peter. Neoliberal Theory and Practice for Eastern Europe. New Left Review, Sept. Oct (eresources York Library) Lane, David. From State Socialism to Capitalism: The Role of Class and the World System. Communist and Post Communist Studies 39 (2006). (eresources) *Sanfey, Peter and Utku Teksoz. Does Transition Make You Happy? Economics of Transition, Vol.15, Issue 4, (Moodle) October 1 TRANSITION RESULTS Required readings: Iankova, Elena. Eastern European Capitalism in the Making. Cambridge U. Press, 2002, Chapters 1,2,7 (ebook) *Berend, Ivan. Social Shock in Transforming Central and Eastern Europe. Communist and Post Communist Studies 40 (2007). (eresources) *Reich, Robert. How Capitalism Is Killing Democracy. Foreign Policy, September/October (eresources) Page 2 of 6

3 PART TWO. RUSSIA S TRANSFORMATION October 8 RUSSIA S HISTORICAL LEGACY. How Russia s specific historical experience has shaped its political culture and institutions. The fall of communism: how and why it happened. 17 Moments in Soviet History register for free Hosking, Geoffrey. Introduction. Russia and the Russians: A History (google books preview) Winkler, Martina. Rulers and Ruled, Kritika, Fall 2011 (eresources) *Wyman, Matthew. Russian Political Culture: Evidence from Public Opinion Surveys. Journal of Communist Studies, March 1994 (eresources) October 15 THE TRANSITION CRISIS. Socioeconomic costs of transition from communism to capitalism. Russia s democrats: from victory to defeat. Yeltsin s chaotic authoritarianism. Rutland, Peter, What Comes After Socialism? Introduction to Restructuring Post Communist Russia, eds. Yitzhak Brudny et al., Cambridge University Press, (ebook) Mau, Vladimir. The Logic of Russia s Transition. Russia in Global Affairs, (eresources) Ivanenko, Vlad. Markets and Democracy in Russia. BOFIT Discussion Papers (16) (Moodle) The Constitution of the Russian Federation Desai, Padma. Conversations on Russia: Reform from Yeltsin to Putin. Oxford U. Press, 2006 (ebook) Russia s Health and Demographic Situation. Russian Analytical Digest, Research Center for East European Studies, Bremen, 19 February *Guriev, Sergei, and Andrei Rachinsky, Oligarchs: The Past or the Future of Russian Capitalism? Social Science Research Network, July October 22 PUTIN S RUSSIA: THE POLITICS OF ORDER. RUSSIAN CAPITALISM The Russian war on terror and restoration of state power over society. The Enforcers and the Oligarchs. The economic boom and a freeze on political freedoms. Rasizade, Alec, Putin s Mission in the Russian Thermidor. Communist and Post Communist Studies, 41 (2008), pp (eresources) The Putin Legacy. Russian Analytical Digest, Research Center for East European Studies, Bremen, 4 March Page 3 of 6

4 Federalism. Russian Analytical Digest, Research Center for East European Studies, Bremen, 17 June 2008 *Nichol, Jim. Democracy in Russia: Trends and Implications for US Interests. CRS Report for Congress, Washington: Congressional Research Service, 2006 (Moodle) October 29: Co curricular Days (no classes) November 5 PROSPECTS FOR CHANGE. What are the sources and drivers of political change in Russia? What are the prospects for a revival of Russian democracy? The impact of the international environment on Russia s political evolution. Twenty Years after the Collapse of the USSR: Continuity and Change. Russian Analytical Digest, Research center for East European Studies, Bremen, 8 March 2012 Change and Continuity in Russian Political Environment. Russian Analytical Digest, Research Center for East European Studies, Bremen, 20 June 2012 *Fidrmuc, Jan, and Klarita Gerxhani, Formation of Social Capital in Central and Eastern Europe, Beyond Transition, Volume 16, No. 3, July September Shevtsova, Lilia. Russia s Ersatz Democracy. Current History, October 2006 (Moodle) * Anderson, Perry. Russia s Managed Democracy. London Review of Books, January 25, PART THREE. TRANSITION ISSUES November 12 EU, NATO and the Post Communist states What is the relationship between Russia and the EU? Does it want to become part of these organizations? How about its neighbours, like Ukraine? Are they interested? How does Russia feel about this? Light, Margot. Russia and the EU: Strategic Partners or Strategic Rivals? Journal of Common Market Studies, vol. 46 (Sept 2008). (eresources) Antonenko and Giegerich. Rebooting NATO Russia Relations. Survival, vol. 51 (2009). (eresources) *Lynch, Dov. Russia s Strategic Partnership with Europe, The Washington Quarterly 27 no.2 (2004), pp (eresources) *Light, White, and Lowenhardt, A Wider Europe: the View from Moscow and Kyiv. International Affairs 76 no.1 (2000), pp (eresources) Page 4 of 6

5 *Energy. Russian Analytical Digest, Research Center for East European Studies, Bremen, 15 May 2012 November 19 Nationalism and Transition in Russia and the Post Soviet States What role did nationalism play in the USSR? Was it a factor in the demise of the Soviet Union? What role does it play in post Soviet states? Nationalism. Russian Analytical Digest, no. 14. Research Center for East European Studies, Bremen, 6 February Hosking, Geoffrey. Can Russia Become a Nation state? Nations and Nationalism 4 no.4 (1998), pp (eresources) *Goshulak, Glenn. Soviet and post Soviet, Challenges to the study of nation and state building, Ethnicities 3 no.4 (2003), pp (Moodle) *Rowley, David G. Imperial versus national discourse: the case of Russia, Nations and Nationalism 6 no.1 (2000), pp (eresources) November 26 Post Central Asian Republics Are the problems and issues of transition in central Asian states different? What role does Islam play in politics and the transition? What is the relationship between these states and Russia? Eurasian Union. Russian Analytical Digest, no Research Center for East European Studies, Bremen, 7 April 2014 Russia and Central Asia. Russian Analytical Digest, no. 29. Research Center for East European Studies, Bremen, 16 October 2007 Gunn, T. Jeremy. Shaping an Islamic Identity: Religion, Islamism, and the State in Central Asia. Sociology of Religion 64 (2003). (eresources) *Bobokulov, Inomjon. Central Asia: is there an alternative to regional integration? Central Asian Survey 25 (2006). (eresources) *Buszynski, Leszek. Russia s New Role in Central Asia. Asian Survey 45 (2005). (eresources) December 3 Conclusions Page 5 of 6

6 Suggested topics for short essays 1. The Russian Constitution of 1993: how did its adoption affect the prospects for democracy? 2. Tatarstan Moscow: the terms of a center regional deal. 3. The issue of religious freedom in post communist Russia. 4. Putin s policy on non governmental organizations. 5. Why is Stalin becoming popular again? 6. Russia s liberals: why do they call themselves Right Wing? 7. The Putin Medvedev succession as an example of managed democracy 8. The role of the Russian Communist Party in post Communist Russia. 9. The role of security services in Russia since the fall of communism. 10. The Central Asian republics under Soviet rule (pick one). Suggested topics for research papers 1. The role of elites and publics in the dissolution of the Soviet Union. 2. Russian mass media under Yeltsin and Putin: from freedom to control? 3. Why is Russia concerned about NATO s eastward expansion? 4. Russia s wars in Chechnya: causes and consequences. 5. Post communist economic reforms in the former USSR and Eastern Europe: a country study or general analysis. 6. The factor of civil society in post communist transformations. 7. Nationalism as a factor in post communist politics. 8. Privatization of public property in Russia: how did it affect the distribution of social power? 9. Winners and losers in post communist society: select a country or make a general case. 10. Economic and social roots of the new Russian oligarchy. 11. Gender issues in post communist society. 12. Public health under post communism. 13. Environmental problems in post communist society. 14. Post communist education reforms. 15. Corruption and organized crime as post communist social phenomena. 16. New class and ethnic divisions in post communist countries. 17. What is the role of democracy in transition from communism? 18. Problems of integration of post communist countries into the world economy. 19. Sources of new authoritarianism in post communist Eastern Europe. 20. Russian nationalism as a factor in Russian post communist politics. 21. Did the West help or hurt democratic development in Russia? 22. Moscow vs. the regions: the problems of Russian federalism. 23. Mass political attitudes in Russia: is there a social base for democratization? 24. The threat of fascism in post communist Russia. Page 6 of 6