Introduction to the Politics of Russia and Eurasia, Fall 2010
4:30-5:45 Mondays and Wednesdays, 40 SH

William M. Reisinger

317 Schaeffer Hall 335-2351

Office Hours: 9:30 – 11:00 am MWF, or by appointment

Teaching Assistant: Christopher Anderson

330 Schaeffer Hall 353-2238

Office Hours: 2:30 – 4:30 Mondays and 4:30-5:30 Thursdays, or by appointment

Background This course focuses on the many countries that were ruled by communist regimes in east-central Europe or Eurasia until 1991. (Until the 1990s, there were nine of them‑‑now there are, if you count the eastern part of Germany, 29.5!) All share some legacies and challenges because they were ruled by Soviet-style communist regimes for decades. From 1989 on, they have also shared the challenges of re-creating their states, their economies, their political institutions and their places in the world. Yet the diversity among them is large. Their moves away from a common past toward an unclear future have much to teach us about how societies change, as well as about how societies resist change.

My goals for your learning After completing this course, you should understand the ideological justification for the Soviet and East European political systems and their operation in practice. You should know how their ideology and institutions led to the collapse of communism from 1989-1991. You should be familiar with key distinctions among the histories, geographies and cultures of the countries that were formerly in the Soviet sphere of influence. Finally, you should be aware of the major problems confronting postcommunist countries as well as the different ways in which these countries have responded to the problems.

Assigned Readings Most class sessions have one or more assigned readings. The assigned material is important for your learning. Portions of both tests will ask you to show your knowledge of the readings. Having done the readings prior to the indicated class session will help you get more from the in-class material. Note that the length of the assigned readings varies from one class session to another. Look ahead now and spread out your reading as necessary.

Most of the assigned readings are from books that are available from the Main Library’s Reserve area at the south end of the first floor. For those not included in the course pack described below, you may want to make xeroxes or scans well before the day they are assigned. Several assigned readings come from journals which UI students can access for free electronically. Links to these readings are in the Content section of the course ICON site. I assign a large portion, five chapters, of Michael G. Roskin, The Rebirth of East Europe, 4^th ed. (2002). I did not order any at a local bookstore because new copies have become quite expensive ($69). Those of you who would like to purchase a copy have the option of looking for a used one, which will cost only half as much.

Iowa Book has a course pack on sale which contains copies of the assigned readings marked with a Ë below. It costs $31.25. The following is on sale at Iowa Book as an optional purchase:

· Williams, Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace, 3^rd ed. (2008) . I recommend this book’s advice for improving your prose.

I would like to hear from anyone in this class who has a disability which may require some modification of the seating, testing or other class requirements. Please see me after class or during my office hours.

Classroom Etiquette Try to be on time. If you can’t be, come in quietly. Cell phones, iPods, and Mp3 players cannot be on during class. If you use a laptop for note taking, mute the sound and avoid using the laptop for things that will distract/annoy your neighbors or take your own attention away from the class.

Interacting with the Instructor I encourage you to speak with me before or after class, as well as to send me e-mail messages. Walk with me from class to my office for office hours if you want to speak at more length or without others present. And feel free to request an appointment outside the scheduled office hours if they conflict with other classes or work.

ASSIGNMENTS

Important Dates:

· Wednesday, October 6, by 4:00 pm: 1^st paper assignment due

· Monday, October 18: In-class examination

· Wednesday, November 17, by 4:00 pm: 2^nd paper assignment due

· Wednesday, December 15, 4:30-6:30 pm (in the regular classroom): Final examination

Components of Your Course Grade:

1) Two essay assignments, each worth 20% of the course grade. A more detailed explanation of each assignment will be posted on ICON. These assignments should follow conventions of academic writing. (See the document on the course’s ICON site entitled “Suggestions For Writing Academic Papers.”) If an essay is late, substantially incomplete, or otherwise unsatisfactory, I will deduct points. For late papers, the deduction is 3 points out of 100 for each class day late. Turning in the first paper at any time from 4:01 pm on the October 6 to 4:00 pm on October 11 is a 3-point deduction, at any time from then until October 13 at 4:00 pm is 6 points, etc. (For the second paper, the late penalties will accrue during Thanksgiving break.)

2) The in-class examination is closed-book and requires you to answer objective questions and a short essay. It is worth 20% of the course grade. It will cover assigned readings and in-class presentations and discussions. I will post more details about the exam on ICON along with suggestions for preparations. Per University policy, you may take a make-up exam when illness, mandatory religious obligations, or other unavoidable circumstances or University activities cause you to miss the in-class exam. You are responsible to inform me as soon as possible about the reasons for missing the exam and to give me appropriate documentation. (Doing this before the exam—and, in the case of scheduled University activities, long before the exam‑‑is much appreciated.)

3) The final examination will be cumulative and closed-book, 2 hours in length. This exam is worth 40% of the course grade.

I will assign course grades with plusses and minuses. Each component of the course grade will receive a numerical score, on the 90-80-70 scale, and a letter-grade equivalent, though you should treat the latter as approximations; the calculation of the course grade will be based on the numbers. I will calculate the weighted average of the paper and exam scores and then add up to 2 points (on the 90-80-70 scale) as a bonus for engagement with the course activities and materials. I will determine these scores subjectively, based on such things as: speaking up when there are discussions in class; communicating with me during office hours, via e-mail or phone; or showing familiarity with the assigned readings during class activities or quizzes.

Note: I do not give incompletes for the course except when unusual and unavoidable circumstances cause you to be unable to take the final exam. Let me know about those circumstances just as soon as possible.

LECTURE TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Introduction (August 23)

Marxism-Leninism

August 25: Marxism.

ËOzinga, Communism, 2nd ed. (1991), ch. 4.

August 30: Lenin’s Modifications.

Meyer, “Leninism,” The Oxford Companion to the Politics of the World, 2^nd ed. Joel Krieger, ed. Oxford University Press Inc. 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. University of Iowa. {Available via the course ICON site, in the Content area.}

1917-1953

September 1: The Russian Revolution.

ËMacKenzie and Curran, Russia and the USSR in the Twentieth Century, 3^rd ed. (1997), ch. 7.

Monday, September 6th: NO CLASS

September 8 – September 13: Stalin’s Rule.

9/8: ËRichard E. Ralston, ed. Communism (1991), pp. 30-46.

September 15: Party Takeovers in Eastern Europe.

Roskin, The Rebirth of East Europe, 4^th ed. (2002), ch. 4.

State Socialism and Its Decay

September 20: The Institutions of Communist-Party Rule.

First writing assignment‑‑read and come to class with questions. {ICON}

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Academic Handbook for Students, section on “Academic Fraud” (http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/students/handbook/x/#2 ).

Gabriel, Trip. 2010. “Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age,” New York Times (August 1). {ICON}

September 22: Central Planning of the Economy.

Kaiser, Russia (1976), ch. 9: “The Economy.”

September 27: Ideology, Mass Communication.

Kaiser, Russia (1976), pp. 153(bottom)-161 + ch. 5: “Propaganda.”

September 29 - October 4: Everyday Life Under State Socialism.

9/29: Neidhart, Russia’s Carnival (2003), chs. 3 & 5.

10/4: ËGunther, Inside Russia Today (1958), ch. 16: “Some Social Patterns.”

October 6: Informal Politics.

ËSmith, The Russians (1976), ch. 3: “Corruption.”

Neidhart, Russia’s Carnival (2003), ch. 8.

èFirst writing assignment due today by 4:00 pm.

October 11: Legitimacy and Stagnation.

Tumarkin, The Living & the Dead: The Rise and Fall Of the Cult Of World War II in Russia (1994), ch. 6. {ICON}

October 13: East European Rebellions, 1953-1980.

Roskin, The Rebirth of East Europe, 4^th ed. (2002), ch. 6.

October 18^th: In-Class Examination

The Fall of Communism

October 20 – 25: 1989.

10/25: Roskin, The Rebirth of East Europe, 4^th ed. (2002), ch. 7.

October 27: 1991.

Time, Special Report: “The Russian Revolution, August 1991,” (September 2, 1991), pp. 18‑55. {ICON}

Diverse Postcommunist Trajectories

November 1: The Region’s Imperial Heritage.

Roskin, The Rebirth of East Europe, 4^th ed. (2002), ch. 1.

November 3: The Multiple Transitions.

November 8: The Breakup of Yugoslavia.

Roskin, The Rebirth of East Europe, 4^th ed. (2002), ch. 9.

November 10: Analyzing Postcommunist Politics.

November 15: Central Europe After Communist Rule.

Millard, “The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland,” in White, Blatt and Lewis, eds., Developments in Central and East European Politics 4 (2007), pp. 37-55.

November 17: Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus After Communist Rule.

Wilson, “The East Europeans: Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova,” in White, Blatt and Lewis, eds., Developments in Central and East European Politics 4 (2007), pp. 90-109.

èSecond writing assignment due today by 4:00 pm.

November 29: The Transcaucasus After Communist Rule.

Cornell, Svante E. and Niklas Nilsson. 2009. “Georgian Politics since the August 2008,” Demokratizatsiya 17 #3, 251-268. {ICON}

December 1: Central Asia After Communist Rule.

Danilovitch, Alex. 2010. “Kazakhs, A Nation of Two Identities: Politics and Revived Tradition,” Problems of Post-Communism 57 #1, 51-58. {ICON}