If the 2016 election wasn’t enough to peak your interest, consider these:

• Russia is the largest country in the world.
• It has more natural gas than any other country on Earth.
• It has one of the greatest militaries in the world.
• It is a case study in the failure of democratization.
• Its leaders view the West as a great threat to Russia’s 21st century revival.

POLI 475 is a FULLY ONLINE course designed to introduce students to Russian politics and, in the process, provide a detailed case study of independence and democratization processes that play out across the world. The first part of this course is a historical exploration of the making of modern Russia, beginning with the communist revolution and culminating with the rise of President Vladimir Putin. Students then look at formative elements of the Putin years, after which we explore several aspects of contemporary Russian politics. These include: ethnicity and nationalism, political development, economic reform and post-independence foreign policy construction. This course integrates broad theoretical issues in the study of political science - especially with respect to independence and the democratic transition - with important "facts" and approaches necessary to make sense of Russia today.

The readings review the social and historical context of political life in Russia, tracing the country's development from the early 20th century to the present.