Politics of the Post-Soviet States

This course is aimed to analyze the developments of post-Soviet states. Students will analyze the different paths of exit from Soviet Union that determined the different kind of reforms in the post-soviet states. The course deals with similarities and differences of development of the post-Soviet states (Russia, Central Asia, Northern Caucasus, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and the Baltic States). Autocratic and democratic tendencies will be discussed, constitutional and political party systems compared. Political and economic reforms, processes of formation of free market, problems of development of civil society will be discussed. Different international orientation of post-Soviet states will be discussed.

Giving knowledge and analytical and comparison abilities about similarities and differences of development of post-Soviet countries.

Introduction into Development Studies.

Soviet system and its collapse 1985-1991. Global neoliberalism and post-communist/post-Soviet Eastern Europe. General features of the early developments in post-Soviet era Autocratic and democratic development tendencies Differences in the foreign politics of post-Soviet states Case study: Lithuania, Russia, Belorus, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhistan.

To identify particular features of Soviet system that had an impact to post-Soviet developments. To describe economic and political conditions for re-orientation from centrally planned economy/communism towards free market and democracy. To identify general political, economic, social developments in the post-communist (post-soviet) sphere. To analyze the features of different exit models of post-Soviet states. To recognize and evaluate autocratic and democratic tendencies of states’ development. To describe differences of international orientation of the states. To indicate and analyze political developments of the certain state in the post-Soviet sphere.