Russia and Its Neighbors - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 221

steps of openness ( glasnost ) and restructuring ( perestroika ). He believed
that limited market freedom and less heavy-handed central planning would
bring prosperity and satisfy the people. In fact, he just opened the door to
radical changes. A lighter version of Communism would not be enough.
Boris Yeltsin at first supported Gorbachev, coming to Moscow at his
request to run the municipal government. They soon quarreled and Yeltsin
was removed from the Soviet Union politburo, but he then won the office
of president of the Russian Federation. The situation became chaotic, with
Yeltsin and those who wanted radical reform on one side and the old-line
Communists on the other. Gorbachev was caught in the middle. Yeltsin's
solution was to dissolve the Soviet Union, which he did with the coopera-
tion of the 14 other republics, most of which had their own complaints
against Gorbachev. The newly independent Russian Federation had demo-
cratic features with the popular election of the president and the parlia-
ment. The lower chamber was called the Duma and the upper chamber was
the Council. The Duma was elected by a combination of direct and propor-
tional voting, and the Council was elected by regional officials. Half-dozen
political parties hold seats. The largest is United Russia, followed by the
Communists, the Liberal Democrats and A Just Russia. United Russia
backs Vladimir Putin faithfully. The Communists are highly national-
istic and anti-Semitic. The so-called Liberal Democratic Party is, in fact,
fascist. The A Just Russia Party advocates a welfare state. A small Green
Party existed for a few years, but because it could not win elections, in 2008
decided to transform itself into an interest group. The chief executive of the
Russian Federation is the president, who in turn appoints a prime minister.
Yeltsin served as president until 1999, followed by his protégé, Putin.
Putin served two terms of four years until 2008, when he was required
to retire according to the Constitution. He was originally a bureaucrat in
the secret police and sought to centralize his power. Russia became less
democratic. Putin did not want to give up power, so he manipulated the
election of his protégé, Dmitriy Medvedev, who immediately appointed
Putin as prime minister, in which capacity he continued to rule much
as before. The presidential system of Russia is less like that of the United
States, and more like that of France, having both a president and a prime
minister. The powers of the president are extensive. Besides appointing the
prime minister, the president appoints key members of the cabinet and the
heads of seven major regions. He can dissolve parliament. He can propose
bills to parliament, veto bills, and issue decrees. The president directs the
foreign, defense, and interior ministries and the Federal Security Service