Political Science Commons^™

Disability Rights, Annika Johnson

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Disability rights are often ignored in discussions of human rights. Recently, however, scholars and activists have begun producing a body of literature on disability rights in Russia and the former Soviet bloc states. Much of the literature focuses on children’s rights with an emphasis on the right to inclusive education. The literature addressing adult issues includes articles considering civil society, civil rights, and community integration. Finally, several articles address the intersection of disability rights with gender rights and ethnic minority rights.

Gender And Human Rights, Lisa Weilminster

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Russia’s historical transition from a communist society to a system of democracy and free market practices has resulted in major social changes affecting the rights of men and women. Analysis of gender and human rights in Russia requires an evaluation of the changing social relations within post-Soviet society, which are shaped by the complex factors of ethnicity, economic class, gender norms, and the role of the state in shaping present gender inequities that hinder the realization of universal human rights. Looking particularly at how gender issues relate to changing identities, employment opportunities, health care and conditions, and public and private …

Violations Of Human Rights In The Russian Military, Cathy Smith

Human Rights & Human Welfare

In 2005, an estimated 450 deaths were caused by injuries due to internal military violence. The degradation inflicted on Russian soldiers within their regime necessitates reformation by the government and implementation of resolutions. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian military has been experiencing heightened levels of personnel decline despite the compulsory draft. The prestige that the Soviet Army of the 1950s received through the late 1980s is dwindling rapidly. Despite the military code of conduct, today’s army is afflicted with perpetual violations of human rights. For the future of the Russian military, extensive action must include systemic …

The Roma: During And After Communism, Florinda Lucero, Jill Collum

Human Rights & Human Welfare

The Roma are an interconnected ethnic and cultural group that migrated out of India more than ten centuries ago. In the Czech Republic, they may have been present since the 15th century. Although relations within Czech lands began honorably, they quickly disintegrated into enmity and within a century Czechs could kill the Roma with impunity. Legislation restricting Roma movement came about in 1927 with Law 117: the “Law on Wandering Gypsies,” which stated that the Roma were now required to seek permission to stay overnight in any given location. In the run-up to World War II, parallel restrictions to those …

Totalitarianism: The Case Of Turkmenistan, Hayden Gore

Human Rights & Human Welfare

With the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, Saparmurat Niyazov, the former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan and self-styled “Turkmenbashi” (Father of All Turkmen), became the country’s first president, quickly fashioning Turkmenistan into one of the most repressive regimes in the world. Declared president-for-life after a dubious parliamentary election in which he selected all of the candidates, Niyazov has created a Stalinistic personality cult to glorify his image and to solidify his control over the state. His “reforms” have outlawed political dissent, marginalized ethnic and religious minorities, gutted the public health system, and enforced a campaign …

Ethnic Conflict, Kristina Libby

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has experienced high levels of ethnic conflict with regard to exit claims by former satellite states that no longer want to be part of the federation. Exit claims often antagonize the state. However, political leaders of titular ethnicities maximize ethnic revivals to keep traditions alive, and to minimize the amount of exclusion vis-à-vis the center. Massive human rights violations have resulted because of misperceptions between the center and the periphery, especially in Chechnya, the Volga-Ural’s Region and Eastern Siberia.

The Health Crisis In Russia, Christine Danton

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A health crisis has emerged in Russia due to declining health and inadequate health care. The crisis is so severe that the term “disappearing population” has been applied to Russia due to a high death rate, low birth rate, and low life expectancy among its people. These factors continue to worsen due to inefficiency and a lack of resources throughout the health care system. The government has been slow to respond to the current crisis, often ignoring calls to reform the system and sometimes passing inappropriate measures. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and medical professionals report there is an urgent need to …

Russian Federation, Jeffrey K. Hass

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The Russian political system remains subject to sudden radical change--this has been the basic logic of its political history since 1985. Only by understanding the processes and logics of that recent history of change can one understand the present and the (possibly radically different) future.

In December 1991 Boris Yeltsin, president of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (the USSR's largest republic, known as RSFSR), joined Stanislav Shushkevich of Belarus and Leonid Kravchuk of Ukraine in dissolving the Soviet Union and replacing it with the ill-defined Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The RSFSR was transformed into the Russian Federation, and …

When The Past Meets The Present: Economic And Business Development Of Hungary And Russia From Communism To Market, Zinaida Karapetyan

Dissertations

The study analyzes the continuity in economic and business development in Hungary and Russia from command economy to market. It consists of two parts.

The first part presents an overview of historical development of the planned economic system in Russia and Hungary with the emphasis on two issues ¿ how the system came about and what kind of reforms had been introduced prior to its collapse. The first issue is addressed to demonstrate that the communist regime in either country was not simply imposed on it by some ideologically driven group, in the case of Russia, or by the Soviet …

Threats To The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

No abstract provided.

Chechnya, Kelley Laird

Human Rights & Human Welfare

The root of animosity between Russians and Chechens extends for more than a century, beginning when Chechens opposed Russia’s conquest of the Caucasus between 1818 and 1917. Tension reached an apex in the 1940s when Stalin deported thousands of Chechens to Siberia and East Asia in fear that they would collaborate with German Nazis.

The Arms Trade In Russian-Chinese Relations: Identity, Domestic Politics, And Geopolitical Positioning, Robert H. Donaldson, John A. Donaldson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Why would a declining power help arm a neighboring and once-hostile rising power? Current international relations literature cannot explain relationships in which one powerful country contributes directly to its long-term relative decline in order to make smaller, short-term gains. This study focuses on one example, the Treaty on Good Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, signed in Moscow on July 16, 2001. Presenting evidence that this alliance embodies a relationship that is based primarily on sales of arms from Russia to China, the authors argue that this association cannot be explained by …

Trends. The Psychology Of Treaty Compliance, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the psychological and political context of national compliance with treaties.

Trends. Of Missile Defense And Defense By Metaphor, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the use of metaphor in public discourse, using the ABM Treaty and missile defense issues between Russian and the United States as context.

The Mind-Body Problem: A Tuberculosis/Tobacco Example, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article illustrates two conflicts between what is, perhaps, best for the mind and best for the body.

Sanctimony On Sanctions: What The United States And Russia Have In Common, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes political psychological issues related to consequences stemming from political sanctions.

Trends. Red Blues: The Psychology Of National Anthems, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the political and psychological aspects of music using the Russian national anthem as an example.

Trends. Politics And Psychology: The Effect Of Political Transition On Russian Families, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article examines the work of Dr. Alexander Shapiro of Moscow, the Russian Federation, and a paper he presented at the 108th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Washington, DC. The paper discussed the effects of political transition on Russian family life.

Nuclear Weapons Diplomacy: Russian Victories And United States Defeats In The Post Cold War Era, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes the status and dynamics of the latest nuclear weapons diplomacy between the United States and Russia.

Racial Profiling In The Persian Gulf: Ethical, Moral, And Legal Implications, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes attributions about race and ethnicity that color the discourse on the ethics, morality, and legality of profiling.

Trends. Transference Tango And Projections On Vladimir Putin, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the Russian presidential election of Vladimir Putin.

Trends. Chechnya As Projective Container, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses and evaluates the views of political observers of Russian activities in Chechnya.

Canada's Nato Commitment: Current Controversies, Past Debates, And Future Issues, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

No abstract provided.

Trends. Wanted: Russian Nuclear Security And A Primer On Russian Psychology, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses whether or not the United States Government (USG) tax payer's dollars-if any-should be expended towards nuclear security in Russia.

Trends. When Russian Weakness Equates To Strength: Money Laundering, Chechnya, And The Proliferation Of Weapons Of Mass Destruction, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The article discusses the aspects of globalization.

Trends. The Pros And Cons Of Decapitation: An Example From Dagestan, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article explores the pros and cons of destroying or severely degrading the strategic command, control, and communication (C3) assets of a politico-military adversary--i.e., decapitation.

Explorations In Causality And Causal Attributions: Russians On The Murder Of Galina Starovoitova, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article illustrates the complexities of attributing psychological import to causal attributions. The recent murder of a Russian psychologist/politician is employed as a socio-emotive backdrop.

Why Do Not All Separatist Movements Aim For Secession? The Cases Of Chechnia And Tatarstan, Mesut Acar

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Which ethnic groups are more likely to secede is a debated question among scholars. One view, as proposed by Immanuel Wallerstein, holds that ethnic groups living in economically advanced regions are more likely to secede. In contrast, other scholars like Donald Horowitz claim that backward groups in backward regions are more likely to secede. One aim of this thesis is to explore which view has better explanatory power for two republics in the Russian Federation: the Republic of Chechnia and the Republic of Tatarstan. In 1992 they were the two most separatist regions in the Russia. Later they diverged, and …

Trends. The Ins And Outs Of Nuclear Nonproliferation: The Case Of Georgia, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses the strong case that can be made that the essence of all foreign policy matters involves the most basic of psychological boundaries: between the "me" and "not me".

Trends. Danger For The New Capitalists: Russian Ballistic Missile Aid To Iran, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses Russian material and technological aid towards Iranian ballistic missile development.