Russia

Question 1

A Just Russia:

Answer 1

-A small party in the Russian Duma with a social-democratic standing; came up with 13% of the vote in 2011, quickly resumed loyalty to the Kremlin

Question 2

asymmetric federalism:

Answer 2

-power is divided unevenly between regional bodies, allows power to be concentrated in Moscow

Question 3

Caucas:

Answer 3

-SW Russia, near Black Sea, diverse mixture of non-Slavic people

Question 4

Chechnya:

Answer 4

-Russian republic that has been a source of military conflict since 1991

Question 5

Cheka:

Answer 5

-Soviet secret police created by Lenin
-precursor to the KGB

Question 6

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS):

Answer 6

-loosely integrated body including many former Soviet republics

Question 7

Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF):

Answer 7

-successor party to the Soviet communist party

Question 8

Constitutional Court:

Answer 8

-highest judicial body
-both powers of abstract and concrete review

Question 9

Duma:

Answer 9

-lower house of Russian legislature
-serves as rubber stamp to executive branch

Question 10

Eurasian Economic Union (EAU):

Answer 10

-economic and political union between many former soviet states

Question 11

Federal Security Service (FSB):

Answer 11

-Russian intelligence agency
-successor to the KGB

Question 12

glastnost:

Answer 12

• “openess”
  -the policy of political liberalization implemented in the Soviet Union in the late 1980’s

Question 13

insider privatization:

Answer 13

-a process whereby former nomenklatura directors of firms were able to acquire the largest number of shares when the firms were privatized

Question 14

KGB:

Answer 14

-soviet secret police agency charged with domestic and foreign intelligence

Question 15

Mikhail Khodorkovsky:

Answer 15

-oligarch arrested and imprisoned for his opposition to the Putin administration

Question 16

Kremlin:

Answer 16

-11th century fortress in Moscow, historical seat of Russian state power

Question 17

Lenin:

Answer 17

-led 1917 Russian revolution with a small group of communist radicals
-headed Soviet Union from 1917-1914

Question 18

Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR):

Answer 18

-political party with a nationalist and anti-democratic orientation

Question 19

Alexei Navalny:

Answer 19

-political activist detained repeatedly for his opposition
-“collapsed” and died in prison camp near arctic circle
-body returned to family 8 days after death, secret funeral negotiated

Question 20

nomenklatura:

Answer 20

-politically sensetive or influential jobs in the state, society, or economy, that were staffed by people chosen or approved by the Communist Party

Question 21

oligarchs:

Answer 21

-Russians noted for their control of large amounts of the Russian economy, their close ties to the government, and their accusations of corruption surrounding their rise to power

Question 22

parties of power:

Answer 22

-Russian parties created by political elites to support political figures, lack any real ideologies

Question 23

perestroika:

Answer 23

-“resurrecting” the policy of political and economic liberalization in the 1980’s

Question 24

Politburo:

Answer 24

-top policy-making and executive body of the communist party

Question 25

shock therapy:

Answer 25

-a process of rapid marketization

Question 26

siloviki:

Answer 26

"men in power" -have their origins in security agencies and have close ties to Putin

Question 27

Stalin:

Answer 27

-succedeed Lenin as head of Soviet Union -until his death in 1953

Question 28

tsar:

Answer 28

-Russian word for emperor

Question 29

United Russia:

Answer 29

-main political party and supporter of Putin

Question 30

Yabloko:

Answer 30

-small part in Russia that advocates democracy and a liberal political-economic system