Fall/Winter Timetable
POL354Y1Y L0101
Politics and Society in Russia
Themes
This course explores the struggles to build democracy in Russia after the collapse of communism. We will begin with an examination of attempts to modernize Russia under the tsars, and then under Lenin and Stalin. Then we will examine Mikhail Gorbachev’s attempt to introduce radical reform, leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The bulk of the course will involve an examination of the transition from communism. We will ask whether Russia is advancing along a path of democratization or authoritarianism. This will involve an exploration of: economic reform, corruption and the rise of the oligarchs; institutional reform and the emergence of superpresidentialism; federalism and the rise of regional warlords; elections, parties and elites, with a close look at the leadership of Eltsin and Putin; the weakness of civil society (labour, women, & the media) and the unique role of organized crime; and, nationalism.
Texts
TBA. Will include a reader prepared by the instructor containing up-to-date analyses and documents.
Prerequisites
One full POL course
Exclusions
POL 354H1
January 29, 2024
The winners of the 2022-2023 undergraduate awards were announced at the annual celebration, held this year on the evening of January 25. Presiding over the award ceremony were Undergraduate Director...
January 26, 2023
Congratulations to our 2021/22 undergraduate award & scholarship recipients! Following a two-year hiatus, the department was delighted to return to hosting our undergraduate awards in-person this year to celebrate our...
June 3, 2021
In a bid to motivate her students in what has been a very difficult academic year, Professor Rebecca Kingston decided to give those enrolled in the winter 2021 term of...
May 21, 2020
Congratulations to undergraduate student Cheryl Cheung who has received a University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA). Going into her third year majoring in political science, with minors in visual studies...
January 29, 2020
Congratulations to all our amazing undergraduate students who picked up one the department’s twenty-three awards and scholarships at our annual undergraduate awards ceremony. In attendance were Dean of Arts &...