Democratization in Russia after the collapse of Soviet Union - Essay Example

Russia initiated all the four processes at once. In this case, it involves the redefinition of national identity, democratization, integration into the world economy, and market reform. This is contrary to other democratizing countries that may have undergone one or two of these transition processes, but not all at once. This essay is a critical analysis of an article Executive Deception by Steven Fish. The article has information on the type of systems appropriate for nations undergoing transition from authoritarian rule to democratic governance.

It will begin with a discussion on the fall of the Soviet Union that initiated development of a new system. It also covers a brief description of the new system, its leadership ways and factors within the system that affect and promote democracy. It will then make a conclusion on the current state of Russia with Putin and Medvedev as its leaders. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a new means of constituting supreme power emerged, new sources of legitimacy to the supreme power emerged and the idea of the presidency was introduced to the Russians.

This was a revolutionary idea in a nation where hereditary monarchy and ideology as a source of legitimacy, dominated for years. However, the direction of the movement was a characteristic of Russia’s system of governance where all the power is embodied in one person and personified completely. According to Fish (2001), a system where power is embodied in one person and completely personified is referred to as ‘superpresidentialism’. The move towards democratic governance and the existence of the old system led to the formation of a conflict between democratic and autocratic tendencies that are still existent in Russia to date (Brown, 2001, p, 15).

The collapse of the Soviet institutions contributed to the formation of a personalized style of politics (Fish, 2001: 179–81). As a result, Boris Yeltsin became the