Location Sage 3221 Sage Russian Politics

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1 Political Science 336 Department of Political Science Spring 2019 Professor Michael Jasinski Meeting Time MWF 11:30-12:30 Office Hours: Thursdays 11-2 pm Location Sage 3221 Sage 4624 Credits: 3 jasinskm@uwosh.edu Russian Politics Rus, whither are you speeding to? Answer me. No answer. The middle bell trills out in a dream its liquid soliloquy; the roaring air is torn to pieces and becomes wind; all things on earth fly by and other nations and states gaze askance as they step aside and give her the right of way. --Nikolai Gogol, Dead Souls, 1842 Course Description: Even though Russia and the United States share many similarities, including large territorial size, wealth of natural resources, highly diverse population, and major power status, Russia's political system has developed along very different lines from that of the United States. The course examines the factors influencing the development of the Russian political system, occasionally delving into the reasons for the US-Russian political divergence, including the causes and effects of Russia's two regime changes during the 20th century. While predominantly a study of domestic policies, the course also evaluates the influence of the international environment of Russia's political system during different periods of its existence, and discusses the impact of Russia's political influence on its neighboring states. Prerequisites: None Readings: All on D2L Political Science Student Learning Outcomes 2) Understand and apply history as a lens of inquiry Political Science students should be able to A. use history as a framework for understanding contemporary politics B. understand that discerning historical patterns and their disruption are critical parts of the discipline 3) Understand and explain contemporary politics Political Science students should be able to A. demonstrate an understanding of current political debates and themes in the different subfields B. connect theory and history in the service of answering big questions facing contemporary polities 1

2 Assessing the Student Learning Outcomes: --Three exams, each with 30 multiple choice and several short essay questions. Each exam is worth 20% of the final course grade. --Research Project, which accounts for 30% of the final course grade. The initial submission is worth 5% of the grade, while the final revised paper is worth 25%. Pick one of the following options. --Option 1: Road Not Taken. Pick a moment in Russia s past when the country s elites faced a genuine choice over the course of its politics. You may choose one from among the following examples or create one of your own (though in this instance you should clear it with the instructor): --Lenin or Kerensky? --Stalin or Trotsky? --Yeltsin or GKChP? --Putin or Khodorkovsky/Navalny/Kasparov, etc.? Once you pick the topic, examine the differences between the actual and proposed policies of the two leaders and their supporters, including both domestic politics and foreign policy. Who were/would be the winners and losers of each set of policies? What would Russia gain or lose by adopting the alternative course of action? --Option 2: The Czar is Dead, Long Live the Czar. At some point in time, Vladimir Putin will die, retire, or will be retired. Who will succeed him as the country s chief executive? On the basis of historical analogies discussed during the semester, attempt to predict the political make-up of Putin s succession. Will he be succeeded by a liberal democrat? Military strongman? Marxist? Russian nationalist? Bilionnaire businessman? Or simply another version of Putin? --Option 3: East or West? Historically, Russia has produced few political thinkers of note. Instead, it imports ideologies and embraces them with such alacrity that it is often forgotten they are, in fact, imports. What will be the next import and its source? Will Russia continue the multi-century pattern of borrowing from the West, or revert to borrowing from the East? Discuss the political-economic models currently on offer in the United States, European Union, and the People s Republic of China. Which of the three appears to offer the greatest promise in furthering the well-being of Russia s citizens and its standing as a global power? --Option 4: Political Science 245 Quantitative Research Design open to students taking PS245 this semester, and subject to approval by 245 instructor. --Participation in class discussion: The course format provides ample opportunity for students making own contributions, in the form of observations or questions of their own, to classroom activities. This part of the course will account for 10% of the course grade. While naturally class participation grade criteria are difficult to describe and quantify, anyone making regular contributions to classroom discussion (i.e., at least one per week), can be assured of obtaining the maximum score. 2

3 -- Weekly reading summaries. You are required to submit, by to the address at the top of this page, weekly summaries of assigned readings. Each summary (which should be about one page, single-spaced) is to address, to the best of your ability, the key points raised in each of the readings. A list of issues to focus on will be posted on D2L not later than Friday of the preceding week. The posted discussion questions, by the way, will reappear once again. Readings summaries will be graded on a pass-fail basis. You may fail to submit one summary during the semester. Failure to submit each additional summary will lower your course grade by 2 points. Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. You are allowed three unexcused absences with no penalty. Each additional unexcused absence will reduce your final course grade by 1 point. Occasional lateness will not be penalized; however, frequent lateness may negatively affect your class participation grade. Grade Scale: Final course grades will be assigned as follows: A: 92 and higher. A-: 90-91; B+: 88-89; B: 82-87; B-: 80-81; C+: 78-79; C: 72-77; C-: 70-71; D: 60-69; F: Academic Honesty: All work is to be your own. No notes, books, or other study materials will be permitted during exams. Violations of the academic honesty code will be pursued in accordance with university procedures. You may (in fact, you are encouraged to do so) work in groups on your readings summaries, however each member of the group should turn in his/her individual summary. Furthermore, if you so choose, you may team up with another student in the section to co-author the required research paper for this course. Note: If substantive changes are made in course syllabus, such as changes in schedule or assignments, notification will be provided in a timely manner and a revised syllabus made available. Statement of reasonable accommodation for student with disabilities Disclosure statement: Students are advised to see the following URL for disclosures about essential consumer protection items required by the Students Right to Know Act of 1990: Note to Poltical Science Majors: Political Science majors should take Political Methodology (245) in either their sophomore year or the first semester of their junior year. Political Science 245 is a prerequisite for the senior capstone, Political analysis (401), and cannot be taken concurrently. If you are currently a political science major or if you think you will be one of our majors in the future, it is important that you save your graded coursework from this class. if you have questions, please see me or any faculty member after class. Week 1: International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power. Orlov, The Peculiarities of Russian National Character Jervis, Cooperation under the Security Dilemma. Gilpin, Hegemonic War and International Change Druckman, Nationalism, Patriotism, and Group Loyalty 3

4 Week 2: One like Putin. Walker, Motivational Foundations of Political Belief Systems Klandermans, Collective Political Action Nye, Types and Skills Herrmann and Hagan, Leadership Matters Week 3: "Two Romes have fallen. The third stands. And there will be no fourth. No one shall replace your Christian Tsardom!" Ostrowski, The Mongol Origins of Muscovite Political Institutions Hosking, The Russian Empire: How and Why Cherniavsky, Ivan the Terrible as a Renaissance Prince Paul, The Military Revolution in Russia, Week 4: Give Russia 20 years of peace, internal and external, and you won t recognize her Esthus, Nicholas II and the Russo-Japanese War Lincoln, What we want is a Great Russia Levine, Pan-Slavism and European Politics Chamberlin, The Short Life of Russian Liberalism Engel, Not By Bread Alone Elkin, Kerensky Government and Its Fate Week 5: We want to achieve a new and better order of society: in this new and better society there must be neither rich nor poor; all will have to work. Lenin, The Nationalities Question Bandera, NEP as an Economic System Cox, Trotsky and His Interpreters Daniels, The Soviet Succession: Lenin and Stalin Exam 1 March 7, Weeks 1-5 Week 6: A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic Harris, Stalin as General Secretary: The appointments process and the nature of Stalin s power Getty, Stalin as Prime Minister: power and the Politburo Kennan, The Approach to Normal Relations McKenzie, The Soviet Union, the Comintern and World Revolution: 1935 Gregory, Collectivization, Accumulation, and Power Week 7: In a time like ours, the weak are not taken into account; only the strong are Kennan, The Struggle Against Hitler, and the Purges Kennan, The Nonaggression Pact Kennan, Russia and the West as Allies Kennan, Russia and the War in Asia Glantz, The Parameters of the Soviet-German War 4

5 Week 8: And just the historical practices of the Russians, who typically, are almost genetically driven to co-opt, penetrate, gain favor, whatever, which is a typical Russian technique. Dvoichenko-Markov, The American Philosophical Society and Early Russian-American Relations Golder, The Russian Fleet and the Civil War Wang, Theodore Roosevelt and Japan's Monroe Doctrine Colburn, Governor Alfred E. Smith and the Red Scare, Cohen, A Study in Nativism Gibson, McCarthy Red Scare Week 9: God will not forgive us if we fail. Gompert, The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan Bunce, The Political Economy of the Brezhnev Era Stewart, Gorbachev and the Obstacles toward Détente Lenhart, Catalyst Coup Week 10: We hoped for the best, but it turned out as always. Remington, Russia s Constitutional Order Shevtsova, The Farewell to Communism and the First Reforms Shevtsova, Boris Yeltsin and the Future of Democracy in Russia Aron, The Search for Historical Yeltsin Exam 2 Weeks 6-10 Monday of week 11 Research paper initial submission due Friday of Week 11 Week 11: And blood flowed in a stream that colder grew. Wood, The Chechen Experience Cornell, The War Against Terrorism and the Conflict in Chechnya Akhmadov, The Killing of Maskhadov Akhmadov, The North Caucasus Emirate and Beyond Kolsto, The Ethnification of Russian Nationalism Week 12: There is no such thing as a former KGB man Makarkin, The Russian Social Contract and Regime Legitimacy Putin, First Person" Sakwa, Political Leadership Remington, Parliament and the Dominant Party Regime Aron, The YUKOS Affair Week 13: Aspire to expand the strength, riches, and size of the Ukrainian state, even by means of enslaving foreigners. Marples, Stepan Bandera. In search of Ukraine for Ukrainians. Ames, Sorry America, Ukraine isn t all about you Klaus, Let s Start a Real Ukrainian Debate 5

6 Week 14 Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain. Averre, Russian Foreign Policy and the Global Political Environment Aron, The United States and Russia: Ideologies, Policies, and Relations Kofman, A Comparative Guide to Russia s Use of Military Force Exam 3 Friday Research project resubmission due Friday 6