POLS 336: Russian Politics

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.