A Study of Russian Semi-Presidentialism After 2008 Based on the Medvedev-Putin Framework
Author: Zhu-cheng Zhao
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
After 1990, the states that formed out of the former Soviet Union, with the exception of the Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia which opted for parliamentary systems and Turkmenistan which opted for a presidential system, adopted semi-presidential regimes. In terms of the formation and operation of political systems, we can identify three distinct paths. The first is a gradual move towards presidential dictatorship. The second is the emergence of superficial disputes between the president on the one hand, and premier and parliament on the other. The third is the emergence of cooperative arrangements between president and premier, but with actual power held by the premier. Russia has evolved in the third direction, providing an interesting case study. This paper examines Russian semi-presidentialism after 2008 from the perspective of this third path.