... Central Europe: Czechs feel like being central Europeans (since they don’t want to be part of eastern Europe.) idea of central Europe is based on Austrian-Hungarian-Empire + parts of Germany eg Bavaria. The link is also the way of making decisions, working, doing things, tradition, waking up early (Franz Josef) many similarities. Lot of conflicts in Europe are still connected to events that happened hundreds of years ago. Poland (republic) Linguistic Group: Western Slavic Religion: Catholic (important part of national identity) Ethnical Minorities: German, Ukraine, Belorussian (small and not important) Often divided (Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary) Is called state of wheels always moving We are Poles because we are not Russian, not German religion became very important for their identification. Day 2 Post-Yugoslavia states Tito managed to unify Yugoslavia after WWII and to keep it independent from Russia. self-managed socialism (market orientation). More contact to the west. Authoritarian system but not as closed as the other eastern states. Before he died he passed a new constitution that came into effect after his death. start of decentralization of Yugoslavia. Conflict: movements for more autonomy, different attitudes to possible reforms, many of the states experience first free elections after 1989 neither politicians nor voters were prepared for that, moment of uncertainty, if in such a moment of...
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...The peculiarities of elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation (VI convocation) coverage by “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” Introduction The necessity for Russia's democratic development, constructing of the civil society and law-based state is now generally accepted. At the same time, the authorities often seek only to declare the general principles, but demonstrate little desire to implement them in practice. In such situation the population is justified to mistrust the government and be skeptical about its actions. It is widely known that the key features of democracy (which underlies the basis of civil society), except guarantee of the rights and freedoms are also such as: the acceptance of political rights and freedoms of citizens in the volume, which allows not only government parties and organizations to act legally, but the opposition too; the presence of representative bodies of power, which are formed on the basis of universal, free and fair elections; the “separation of powers” principle, which means that the parliament is the sole legislative body; political pluralism and publicity of power. The civil society will not be able to exist without ensuring equality of rights and freedoms for all people; freedom of citizens in establishing of political parties and civil movements; freedom of establishing the mass media and ensuring their activities. In the modern Russian society the media, as declared, should ensure dialogue between...
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...Stevens in sympathetic to those that are oppressed ; steps up and opposes lincoln’s plan; doesn’t think the oppressed have been helped enough through concrete measures. Big supporter of freedman’s. * Sumner was beaten by canes in the senate chamber – personal animosity toward slavery and democracy in the south * almost like restarting over; a do-over * idealism and political motive * wanted to create a republican party in the south * Wanted to * Punish southerners * Protect freedmen * Strengthen republican party * 14th amendment * granting citizenship to African americans; can vote and hold office * outlawed black codes * righting wrongs that had popped up * some African americans were actually elected to senate; although this doesn’t last * 15th amendment * can’t deny someone the right to vote based on race * designed to reinforce democratic party taking over the south; new political role in the south * “Redemption “ * Around 1870, things look like they’re making progress * Grant elected president in 68, steps out of the way and let’s congress do what it wants * General amnesty act (1872) * Granted...
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...differences as well as similarities between them. Poland is quite a small country. Its size is similar to Texas- one of the States in the USA. Poland is situated in central Europe and it borders on the Baltic Sea and the Russian Kaliningrad Region in the north, Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus in the East, Slovakia and the Czech Republic in the south, Germany on the west. The United States of America is located in the other hemisphere. It has only two neighboring countries- Canada in the north and Mexico in the south. In the west there is the Pacific Ocean and in the East- Atlantic Ocean. The distance between Poland and the USA is made not only by the Atlantic Ocean. The countries are separated by many other features. Let us take a look at the similarities at the beginning. The United States of America as well as Poland is a democratic country. The governments of these countries are supposed to respect the rights of the individual. Both countries have their constitutions, the book of laws of highest importance. The constitutions make the government the most important group of people protecting the liberty and providing limitations to what people do. The constitution of the USA was first written and established in 1879. The government there is democratic, which means that people elect it for themselves. Every person, who is over 18 years old, has a right to vote. There...
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...the foreign intervention and Qajar. Patriotic opinions of the religious classes established a Constitutional Movement that took place from 1905 to 1911. An alliance consisting of ulama bazaaris and fellow thinkers forced Qajar Shah to pass a constitution to enact a parliament 1906. The introduction of the constitution limited the absolutist rule powers. After the discovery of oil in 1908 in Britain, Qajar Shah Position and military power weakened. Some artists were in Europe to study and master academic paintings and upon their return; they found fine arts academies (Arjomand, 2008). During the World War I, the British and Russian powers occupied the country but it maintains neutrality. With Reza Shah in power, Iran began to secularize and modernize the government as well as taking control over the provinces and tribes. The British together with the Russians overthrow Reza Shah in 1941 and Muhammad Reza, his son overtakes his place through to 1980. During Muhammad's time in power...
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...various different policies, these three leaders were perhaps undeniably the most influential leaders of Russia's history in the last hundred years. Vladimir Lenin's influence on Russia started with the release of his book What's to be Done? In 1902. When the leaders of Russian Marxism gathered for a meeting in 1903, Lenin's ideas clashed with Iuli Martov's idea of a looser, more democratic workers' party. Due to this disagreement, was complicated by other conflicts, and from this meeting Russian Marxism was split into two factions (Simkin). Lenin's faction was called the Bolsheviks (majority) while the other referred to themselves as the Mensheviks (minority). When the Revolution of 1905 occurred in Russia, widespread revolt against the czar's government spread throughout the country. However, it was eventually demolished by the government. This revolt surprised all Russian leaders, including the Bolsheviks, Lenin managed to return to Russia only in November, when the defeat of the revolution was pretty much certain (Talbot). Over the next twelve years, Bolshevism, with Lenin at it's head, gradually emerged as an independent party that had cut it's ties with all other Russian Marxists. Since about 1905, the international socialist movement had also begun to discuss the possibility of a major war breaking out among European nations (Talbot). Lenin urged active opposition to the war effort and a transformation of any war into a proletarian...
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...Miliukov and Prince Lvov were taking control of the State Duma, both Leon Trotsky and Lenin were in exile, and their Bolshevik Party’s following had been decimated by conscription. Yet by the closing of that very year, the Bolshevik Party had taken control of Russia and transformed the country into the world’s first communist state, with a very much alive Lenin at its helm. In addition to seizing power against all odds, the Bolshevik apparatus succeeded in crushing its rivals in the following years and created a regime that would survive a global depression, genocide, a world war, and a bitter half-century arms race with a world superpower. The Bolshevik Party’s ascension to power was enabled by a number of factors which coincided to create a ‘perfect storm.’ Disunity amongst the Bolsheviks’ adversaries contributed to a lack of opposition. Russia’s wartime economy proved to be a major inciter of unrest in both the urban and rural populace. Aid, both intentional and unintentional, from foreign powers bolstered the Bolsheviks’ position. And of course a sizeable amount of luck cannot go without credit. But the deciding factor, which is apparent before, during and after 1917, was Lenin’s adeptness over his rivals at perceiving and playing to the social mood of the masses. Throughout two key phases: the Tsarist command of World War One, and the revolutionary period that followed the overthrow of the Tsarist regime in February of 1917; success on the part of the Bolsheviks and failure...
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... It is hard to forget one of the most massive instances of government corruption and dishonesty that stemmed from the president himself. Nixon was known as a politician that would do whatever it takes to achieve his political goals and eliminate his competition. He came into the presidency when the U.S. was in a time of cultural and political conflict, so he appealed to a silent majority in order to win votes. Despite Nixon’s success in foreign and environmental affairs, his presidency was overshadowed by his domestic policies and the Watergate scandal. Emerging from the 1960’s, the Nixon’s era was characterized by conflicting political and social movements and deteriorating economic and environmental conditions. Nixon was elected because of his image as a steady Republican candidate amid disarray within the Democratic party. President Lyndon B. Johnson decided not to seek reelection, and Vice President Hubert Humphrey’s campaign was ruined by protests. In addition,...
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...Russian Federation Learning Team B COMM215 June 10, 2010 Nancy Erickson Russian Federation The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. At 6,592,800 square miles it covers more than a ninth of the Earth’s surface. It is a great and proud country. Up until the 1990’s it was the only surviving superpower in the globe after World War II along with the United States. The Russian Federation is located east of Europe and north of Asia. Russia has boundaries with fourteen other countries, like China in Asia, Kazakhstan in the Middle East, and Finland in Europe. In this country there are only two distinct seasons winter and summer. Spring and autumn are brief periods of change between extremely low and extremely high temperatures. The coldest month is usually in January. The warmest month is usually in July. Russia has a pretty broad population but mostly by Russians and the main language there is Russian. Russia is the ninth most populous nation in the world with 139 million people. The currency is the Ruble. One dollar is equivalent to 30 rubles. The capital city of Russia is Moscow. Russia is home to the famous St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow which looks like a castle with onion shaped domes. The Kremlin is also located in Russia which is where government business is conducted. Some famous Russian ornament is the Fabergé Egg. Made by Peter Carl Fabergé o nly 65 eggs were ever made and they are worth millions. Russia is also famous...
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...The 1979 Iranian Revolution Revolution is the culmination of popular discontent brewing for a certain amount of time. People may grow dissatisfied with sharp social contrasts, inequality, segregation, discrimination, and other blatant violations of their rights. Even conservative authoritarian Arabic societies like that of Iran can experience the rise of general discontent and indignation. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 is the revolt rationalized by a wide range of motives from corruption to excessive westernization adopted by Shah Mohammad Pahlavi. The unpreparedness of the ruling elite and its foreign patrons along with repressions sealed the fate of the Iranian leader signifying the historic shift of power and foreign vector. The point is that the Iranian Revolution of 1979 was the product of Shah Pahlavi’s repressive regime largely facilitated by regime’s weakness and unpreparedness, which culminated in crucial achievement and the establishment of a theocratic regime ruled by Ayatollah Khomeini over the following decade. Popular Sentiments, Ideological Groups, the Unique Nature of the Iranian Revolution, Rationales behind the Revolt, the Factors of Success Philosophy Doctor Homa Katouzian (n.d.) noted that the revolution of 1979 was the rebellion of the Iranian society against the political regime reigning supreme at the time of the event. Based on its underlying features, what happened in the country in the late 1970s did not match the norms of Western revolutions...
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...APUSH Study Guide 8 A weak Confederacy and the Constitution, 1776-1790 Themes/Constructs: The federal Constitution represented a moderately conservative reaction against the democratilizing effects of the Revolution and the Articles of Confederation. The American Revolution was not a radical transformation like the French or Russian revolutions, but it produced political innovations and some social change in the direction of greater equality and democracy. The American Revolution did not overturn the social order, but it did produce substantial changes in social customs, political institutions, and ideas about society and government. Among the changes were the separation of church and state in some places, the abolition of slavery in the North, written political constitutions, and a shift in political power from the eastern seaboard toward the frontier. The first weak government, the Articles of Confederation, was unable to exercise real authority, although it did successfully deal with the western lands issue. The Confederation’s weakness in handling foreign policy, commerce and the Shays Rebellion spurred the movement to alter the Articles. Instead of revising the Articles, the well-off delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a charter for a whole new government. In a series of compromises, the convention produced a plan that provided for a vigorous central government, a strong executive, the protection for property, while still upholding republican...
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...Between 1917 and 1924 the Bolshevik party went through a baptism of fire which transformed it from a revolutionary splinter group into a party of government. During that period it faced intense opposition from a bewildering array of political, military, social and national groups. By the time of Lenin’s death, in January 1924, the regime was, despite all the odds, still in power – but at what cost was this success achieved and to what extent was it superficial rather than real? Political Opposition: Constituent Assembly to ‘Red Terror’ Politically, the Bolshevik party faced massive opposition following its seizure of power in 1917. The Social Revolutionaries (the party of the peasants) had more support in the countryside, whilst the Bolsheviks (the party of the proletariat) did not command the overwhelming support of the Soviets. Nevertheless, having made so much political capital out of the Provisional Government’s failure to call a Constituent Assembly throughout 1917, Lenin had no choice but to call elections immediately. For the Bolsheviks, the results were depressingly predictable: they gained barely a quarter of the available seats, whilst the SRs gained almost half. Given his precarious position, Lenin’s response to this setback at first sight appears reckless: he contemptuously dissolved the Assembly, calling his action ‘true democracy’ because he knew the needs of the proletariat better than they did themselves. He then set up Soviets throughout the country in a...
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...resistance proves problem for Russia The mood is changing in Crimea. On Friday the Russians took over, largely unopposed by their Ukrainian counterparts. Perhaps in the confused aftermath of events in Kiev, the Ukrainians were still wondering whose orders they were supposed to follow. But today there are large groups of Ukrainian soldiers who resist the new authority in Crimea, who refuse to surrender their bases and their ships, and who are slowly starting to create problems for the Russians. Perhaps a decision has been taken to fight back? So far it has been done peacefully, but each time the troops are pushing the boundaries, hoping to show the world that Ukrainians are being bullied by their Russian masters. The international community may have given up on Crimea. It is clear the new government in Kiev has not. Which brings us to the events of today. 'Insults and obscenities' Russian troops fired into air as Ukrainians marched on a Crimean air base The Russian guard at the airfield in Sevastopol must have considered the prospect of a confrontation like this. Marching towards them was a column of 300 unarmed Ukrainian soldiers, with their flag proudly displayed. The Russians fired over their heads but on went the Ukrainians, marching in line, singing their anthem, in defiance. One volley after the other went over their head and, as they neared the barriers, the rifles of the Russian soldiers were lowered. This airfield at Sevastopol is home to the MiG fighters of...
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...-------------------------------4 Diversity Amid Globalization-------------------------------------------------------5 The Changing Global Environment----------------------------------------------11 North America---------------------------------------------------------------------------12 Latin America---------------------------------------------------------------------------23 The Caribbean--------------------------------------------------------------------------27 Sub-Saharan Africa-------------------------------------------------------------------31 Southwest Asia and North Africa------------------------------------------------32 Europe------------------------------------------------------------------------------------34 The Russian Domain-----------------------------------------------------------------39 Central Asia-----------------------------------------------------------------------------42 East Asia---------------------------------------------------------------------------------45 South Asia-------------------------------------------------------------------------------47 Southeast Asia-------------------------------------------------------------------------50 Australia and Oceania---------------------------------------------------------------57 Conclusion------------------------------------------------------------------------------60 Bibliography----------------------------------------------------------------------------61 Introduction Diversity Amid...
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...The European Union and its power over opinion: what can Belarus tell us about the European identity? Contents Abstract Page 4 Introduction ` Page 5 Chapter 1: Constructing a European identity Page 8 Chapter 2: The European Union as a normative actor Page 21 Chapter 3: The Belarusian problem Page 30 Conclusion Page 49 Bibliography Page 52 Abstract Europe has embarked upon an unprecedented process of state integration witnessing the widespread deferral of policy making to intergovernmental institutions. The European Union’s institutionalism has facilitated an assimilation of values into an increasingly coherent, if complex regional identity. A normative self-conception has emerged that Brussels has sought to project onto its external relations through the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Brussels increasingly considers itself a transformative actor in global politics offering an alternative to great power realpolitik. This paper finds that while European multilateralism offers an environment conducive to a normative foreign policy, the extent to which it is able to exert any ideational influence is constrained by the level of engagement it is willing to pursue. Europe maintains a policy of isolating the Lukashenko regime and has failed to engage Belarusian civil society. As a result it has had a negligible impact on Belarusian political culture. Europe’s failure to adequately engage Belarus also...
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