POL112H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Liberal Democracy, Autocracy, Electoral Fraud
11 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
Since the end of the cold war, former communist states have moved in two different directions. Central and east european states and baltic states are genuine liberal democracies. Other 12 states (including russia) have moved away from democracy: only russia and moldova remained democracies, russia reverted to autocracy by 2004, georgia and ukraine had democratic revolutions, but their governments have been ineffective and corrupt. Struggled economically as a democracy in the 1990"s. Oil boom in the 2000"s produced more wealth under authoritarianism. Russian public is more tolerant of authoritarianism. 2012 presidential election were married by allegations of fraud, which encouraged protests in some russian cities. As oil prices drastically decline, the russian regime could come under more pressure. As russia goes, so goes the region (mcfaul) Defining characteristics is the centralization of power: has allowed for corruption, complacency, and abuse of power. Putin set out to tame russian politics, which had become too noisy, divisive, and tumultuous.
