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LEGITIMACY OF THE GOVERNMENT |
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In these early years of the 21st century, the legitimacy of the Russian government is at very low ebb, partly because the regime change is so recent, and partly because the change appears to be a drastic departure from the past. However, there is some evidence that the system has stabilized since Vladimir Putin was elected president in 2000, although it is too soon to know. |
Traditionally, political legitimacy has been based on strong, autocratic rule, first by centuries of tsars, and then by the firm dictatorship of party leaders during the 20th century. Under communist rule, Marxism-Leninism provided the legitimacy base for the party, with its ideology of democratic centralism, or rule by a few for the benefit of the many. Although it theoretically only supplemented Marxism-Leninism, Stalinism in reality changed the regime to totalitarianism, a more complete, invasive form of strong-man rule than the tsars ever were able to implement. After Stalin, two reformers &endash; Nikita Khrushchev and Mikhail Gorbachev &endash; tried to loosen the party's strangle-hold on power, only to facilitate the downfall of the regime.
In its attempt to reconstruct the country's power base, the Constitution of 1993 provided for a strong president, although the power of the position is checked by popular election and by the lower house of the legislature, the Duma. The institution of the presidency only dates back to the late 1980s, but the Duma actually existed under the tsars of the late 19th century. In its short history, the Constitution's legitimacy has been seriously tested by attempted coups and intense conflict between the president and the Duma. However, the 2000 presidential transition from Yeltsin to Putin went smoothly, an accomplishment that may indicate that the Constitution may be more resilient than it seemed to be a few years ago.
To see a copy of the Russian Constitution, click here.
