PSCI 3440
RUSSIAN AND CENTRAL
ASIAN POLITICS
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
Schedule of Classes and Assignments
Monday, January 11: Introduction to the course.
Wednesday, January 13: Marxism-Leninism I. Marx and
the critique of capitalism. Lenin's departure from Marx.
Readings: none.
Monday, January 18: MLK Day.
Wednesday, January 20: Marxism-Leninism II. Stalin and the construction of Soviet communism.
Reading: Shiraev ch 2.
Study questions:
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's class and Shiraev ch 2.
Soviet industrial poster art, 1920s and 1930s.
Monday, January 25: The USSR from Stalin's death (1953) through perestroika (1985-1991).
Reading: Shiraev ch 3.
Study questions:
After-class quiz deadline: Thursday night 11:59 pm. From course policies, today's class and Shiraev ch 3.
Wednesday, January 27: The Yeltsin years (1992-1999). The wrenching transition; the westward orientation; political, social and economic decay.
Reading: John Dunlop, "Sifting Through the Rubble of the Yeltsin Years" <elearning>.
Study questions:
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's class and Dunlop.
Boris Yeltsin denouncing the attempted coup by anti-reform figures in the Communist Party, 1991.
Monday, February 1: Putinism I (2000-present). The "power vertical." Capitalism.
Reading: Shiraev chs 4 and 5.
Study questions:
After-class quiz deadline: Thursday night 11:59 pm. From today's class and assigned reading.
Wednesday, February 3: Putinism II (2000-2012).
Reading: Shiraev chs 7 and 8.
Study questions:
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's class and assigned reading.
Monday, February 8: Putinism 2.0 (2012-present).
Reading: Shiraev ch 10.
After-class quiz deadline: Thursday night 11:59 pm. From today's class and assigned reading.
Wednesday, February 10: Economy and society.
Reading:
Study questions:
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's class and assigned reading.
Monday, February 15: Exam I.
Exam study guide (to be activated the end of the previous week).
Pro-unification billboard during Crimean referendum, 2014.
Wednesday, February 17: Russia and the world I.
Reading:
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's class and assigned reading.
Sunday, February 20: Assignment #1 due at 11:59 pm (see assignments page).
Monday, February 22: Russia and the world II.
Reading: Alexander Lukin, "How the United States Got Russia Wrong."
Study questions:
After-class quiz deadline: Thursday night 11:59 pm. From today's class and assigned reading.
Wednesday, February 24: Post-communist diversity.
Reading:
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's reading and today's class.
Rose Revolution demonstrations in Georgia, 2003
Monday, March 1: Frozen conflicts and color revolutions I.
Reading:
Listen:
Look:
After-class quiz deadline: Thursday night 11:59 pm. From today's reading, the NPR story, and today's class.
Wednesday, March 3: Frozen conflicts and color revolutions II.
Reading:
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's reading and today's class.
Monday, March 8: Sultanism: personalized politics.
Reading:
Study questions:
After-class quiz deadline: Thursday night 11:59 pm. From today's reading and today's class.
2015 presidential election results in Belarus. Note how uncompetitive they were.
Wednesday, March 10: Electoral authoritarianism: elections without democracy.
Reading:
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's reading and today's class.
Monday, March 15: Oil and gas pipeline politics: connecting supply to markets.
Reading:
After-class quiz deadline: Thursday night 11:59 pm. From today's reading and today's class.
Irrigated field in Uzbekistan.
Wednesday, March 17: The geopolitics of water.
Reading:
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's reading and today's class.
Monday, March 22: Exam II.
Exam study guide (to be activated the end of the previous week).
Wednesday, March 24: No class.
The logo for Kazakhstan's modernization of society project called "Spiritual Renewal"
Monday and Wednesday, March 29 and 31: spring break.
Monday, April 5: Identity.
Reading:
After-class quiz deadline: Thursday night 11:59 pm. From today's reading and today's class.
Wednesday, April 7: Religion. Gender.
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's reading and today's class.
The Hissar Gate (ruins), Tajikistan
Monday, April 12: Clans and informal institutions.
Reading:
Study questions:
After-class quiz deadline: Thursday night 11:59 pm. From today's readings and today's class
Wednesday, April 14: Central Asia in the world.
Reading:
<elearning>.
After-class quiz deadline: Saturday night 11:59 pm. From today's readings and today's class.
Monday, April 19: Catch-up.
Reading: none.
After-class quiz deadline: Thursday night 11:59 pm. From today's class.
Wednesday April 21: Central Asia looking forward.
Reading:
No after-class quiz.
Final exam week: April 26-29.
Study guide (to be activated the end of the previous week).