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After briefly examining the reasons for the introduction of glasnost and perestroika and the relationship between these and the collapse of the USSR, the module proceeds to examine the political system of the Russian Federation as it developed from 1991 onwards under Presidents Boris El’tsin, Vladimir Putin, Dmitrii Medvedev and Putin again from 2012. The module examines the causes of the adoption of the Constitution in 1993, the subsequent working of the constitution in practice, the re-election of El’tsin in 1996, and the reasons for Putin’s rise to power. The process of the rise of authoritarianism under Putin is examined. The module considers why Medvedev was chosen to succeed Putin, how much difference he made and why Putin clamped down on social protest after his return to power. Particular issues covered include the roles of political parties, the ‘oligarchs’, and the security services; human rights and civil society; Russian identity, nationalism, federalism, regionalism and the Chechen wars.

This module seeks to:

1. assist the student to develop an academic understanding of the Russian political system, political life and decision-making, in the period from perestroika to the situation today.

2. prepare the student for careers in government, research, the media, business, non-governmental organizations and others where knowledge of Russia will be useful.

3. develop the skills of the student as an analyst, researcher, presenter, debater and writer, for both vocational and intellectual purposes.