Soviet Union/Russia

When, how, and why did the Soviet Union and China become communist?
Marx's ideas of historical change
Lenin's idea about developing a Communist Party
Lenin's ideas for policy and organization when in power.
Stalin's strategies: political and economic control, Gulag, cult of personality
Party-government structure in old system:
Party: party congress, political bureau, general secretary.
State: people's congresses, supreme soviet, state council,
party-government relations: policy, personnel (nomenclatura), day-to-day activities.
indirect elections
Economy: govt ownership, planning and management of economy, forced
industrialization, collective ag.

historic pattern of leadership change
Khruschev's 20th Party Congress speech
historic pattern of leadership change (prior to Gorbachev)
Gorbachev's strategies and problems in reforming communism
Peristroika and glasnost
Big Bang, New Russian constitution, Kremlin
    Federation Council, State Duma, Yeltsin, Putin, Zyuganov, Zhirinovsky, Pamyat, party system
un-communising the economy: what are the policies? what are the problems? Asset stripping.
Problems dealing with ethnic nationalism, Chechyna,

China:

traditions of authoritarianism (dynastic cycle, Confucianism, hydraulic society)
When, When, how, and why did China become communist?
long march, guanxi
Mao Zedong, First five year plan, Cultural Revolution, Market-Leninism
Deng Xiaoping,  Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao
household contract/responsibility system, open door, joint venture, private purchase of state asset, corruption,
marketization, inflation, breaking the iron rice bowl, unemployment,
 

Essays:

1. Compare and contrast the political party system in the Soviet Union before 1991 with that in Russia after 1993. How does the leading party establish and maintain that position before and after 1993? How does it loose that position? What is the role of opposition parties? How is the voting system linked to the question of party system? What is the relationship between the leading party and the government?

2. What were the basic policies and institutions of classic communism (Stalinism, Maoism)? Include agriculture, industry, and politics?

3. Reforming or undoing communism requires important changes in political and economic policies and structures. Compare the changes that were adopted in Russia and China to the economic system, including agriculture and industry.

4. Compare the changes made in Russia and China to the political system. Describe the new Russian Constitution and how it has been implemented. Compare it with political developments in China.

5. What are the problems that often come from the introduction of market mechanisms in a post-communist system?

6. Review traditional political culture and systems in China. Compare them with the Leninist system. How are they similar? How are they different?

7. Why did the Soviet Union break apart into 15 countries when it tried to reform its communist system, while, in contrast, China has remained a single, unified country as it reforms its communist system?