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Russian
history includes a variety of regime types, but the
tradition is highly authoritarian. The reforms that began in
the early 1990s are truly experimental, and only time will
tell whether democracy and a free market economy will take
root. Even if they do, the nature of the regime must take
into account Russian political culture and traditions.
Current political parties, elections, and institutions of
government are all new, and their functions within the
political system are very fluid and likely to change within
the next few years. However, the Russian Federation has
survived its first few rocky years, and many experts believe
that at least some aspects of Russian government and
politics are beginning to settle into a pattern.
Even though the Soviet Union was highly centralized, it still maintained a federal government structure. The Russian Federation has retained this model, and the current regime consists of eighty-nine regions, twenty-one of which are ethnically non-Russian by majority. Each region is bound by treaty to the Federation, but not all - including Chechnya - have signed on. Most of these regions are called "republics," and because the central government was not strong under Yeltsin, many ruled themselves almost independently. However, Vladimir Putin has cracked down on them recently, ordering the army to shell even Chechnya into submission. Also, a new law allows the president to remove a governor from office that refuses to subject local law to the national constitution. As a result, the "federation" is still highly centralized.
