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Agenda setting—the process by which the publisher can determine what type information becomes news at the moment and what does not.
Annexation—the forceful transition of land from the control of one state to another. The annexation was viewed as a flagrant violation of international law.
Authoritarian system—a political system that non-democratic, has meaningless or rigged elections, tolerates or initiates attacks against political opposition, restricts civil liberties, and has a weak civil society.
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—the design and implementation by China of a high-capacity transport infrastructure, linking East Asia to Europe.
Bologna Process—an international initiative to bring academic degrees to a somewhat unified standard acceptable across Europe.
Bolsheviks—members of a political wing of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. This name later became forever associated with the Communist Party of The Soviet Union.
Boyar Duma—an advisory council serving to the Grand Duke.
Boyars—members of highest ranks of Russian aristocracy (10-17th centuries) possessing military, economic (as landowners), and political power.
Center—groups supporting policies related to moderate actions and measures in political, economic, security, and foreign-policy fields.
Central Electoral Commission (CEC)—a 15-member institution appointed by the president and the Federal Assembly—is in charge of organizing elections on the federal level. It is appointed for four years and responsible for both presidential and parliamentary races.
Civil militarism, the strategic policy of adoption of military goals, priorities, and values to domestic policies and constant glorification of the military role in domestic defense policies
Cold War—the global state of tensions in the 20th century between the Soviet Union and its closest allies on the one hand, and the United States, with its allies, on the other.
Collectivization of peasants—the process of creation of collective farms in the 1930s where their members would share property and land.
Comintern (The Communist International)— International communist organization designed in 1919 to coordinate the activities of communist parties around the world, to facilitate the collapse of capitalist regimes, and to establish socialism as a form of government.
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)— a regional intergovernmental organization that appeared in place of the defunct USSR. Eleven out of the fifteen former republics of the Soviet Union have joined. (Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia did not join, and Georgia left in 2008.) The CIS remains mostly a formal association without real political power.
Conditionally pro-government—a type of political attitudes to support candidates from the government offices so long as these individuals conduct policies guaranteeing economic security and order.
Conservative—those in Russia who supports government's protection of social welfare, the idea of Russia's greatness as a world power, mixed economy with a large portion of it being under government control, and relative tolerance of authoritarianism.
Content analysis¾a research method that systematically organizes and summarizes both the manifest (what was actually said or written) and latent (the meaning of what was said and written) content of information.
Court of law—an institution to establish the legality of a certain action (behavior of an individual, decision of an institution, or a government’s decree, for example) and then pass a ruling.
Critical-liberal view of Russian history—the approach that reject major assumptions of the imperial-moralistic tradition and suggests that a democratic path of development provides better conditions for the country, its people, and its relations with other states. The concentration of power and resources in one center is harmful to the country’s economic and political development.
Creative authoritarianism—The government strategy or policy of selective tolerance of some civil freedoms and restriction of others.
Critical thinking—an active and systematic intellectual strategy that helps us to examine, evaluate, and understand facts on the basis of reasoning and valid evidence.
Democratic centralism—the official internal policy of the Communist party prohibiting factions, opposition, and establishing the mandatory acceptance of decisions of higher party organizations by its lower structures.
Democratic opposition—the movement led informally by Boris Yeltsin in the late 1980s. The word “democratic” referred to the movement’s largely an anti-communist and pro-democratic position.
Elite—a small group of people who control a disproportionate amount of wealth, political power, or both.
Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)—a prototype of the Eurasian Union. Launched in 2015, this is an economic union that initially consisted of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Armenia and Kyrgyzstan also joined later.
Eurasian model of Russian development—the view that Russia's true destiny was in preserving its natural Eurasian roots and avoiding the temptation to imitate Western models of government and culture.
Euro-optimists—individuals who tend to believe that increasing European integration and the emerging common border should bring Russia benefits.
Euro-pessimists—individuals who tend to believe that Russia’s integration into Europe did not and does not serve the country’s core interests.
Expert survey—a research method, where the respondents are experts in the subject rather than a cross-section of the wider population.
Extradition—the official transfer of a suspected or convicted criminal to another country.
Eyewitness account—a description of an event or other developments provided by an individual who observed them directly.
Federal agencies—federal institutions to provide specific federal services. For example, there are federal agencies responsible for tourism, archives, forestry, railroads, water resources, and so on.
Federal ministries—federal institutions responsible for the conduct of federal policy in specific areas such as foreign policy, domestic security, defense, health care, education, finance, agriculture, and so forth.
Federal National Guard Troops Service of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardia)—Federal agency in charge of national borders, taking charge of gun control, combating terrorism and organized crime, protecting public order, and guarding important state facilities.
Federal services— federal institutions to exercise and control the implementation of specific federal policies.
Federal Universities are relatively large educational and research institutions consolidated out of several universities and colleges and funded by the federal government.
Focus group methodology—a kind of survey method used in foreign policy planning, conflict resolution analysis, or commercial or academic research. The typical focus group contains 7-10 participants who discuss a particular situation or problem and express their opinion about this situation to the focus group moderator.
Foreign policy—a country’s relations with other countries and international organizations
Framing—deliberate interpretation of events and polices from a particular standpoint or in certain contexts.
Gatekeeping—determining which information was allowed or recommended for publication and which was not.
Gendarmerie —the highest law-enforcement and investigation agency.
Genocide—purposeful extermination of people based on their ethnic or social identity.
Geopolitics—the theory and practice of using geography and territorial gains to achieve political power or seek security.
Great Game—The strategic rivalry between Russia and Great Britain for new possessions and supremacy in Central and South Asia. The term mostly refers to the 1800s.
GRIT—gradual reduction of international tension or incremental and conciliatory steps to avoid confrontation in bilateral or international relations.
Holly Alliance—a military and political treaty of 1815 involving Russia, Austria, and Prussia to preserve the existing dynastic principles of government and prevent democratic revolutions in Europe.
Illiberal economic policies—a mixture of authoritarian methods of government coupled with acceptance, but only when it is convenient, of free-market principles.
Imperial-moralistic tradition—the view of Russian history according to which, Russia’s might, influence, and success were always associated with the strong, authoritarian power capable of consolidating the country.
Industrialization—the economic policy of the Soviet Russia. According to the communist doctrine, the strength of a state is determined by the size and quality of its heavy industries. Therefore, the prime targets of the Soviet industrialization were heavy industries and the manufacturing of machinery.
Intelligence—information about the interests, intentions, capabilities, and actions of foreign countries, including government officials, political parties, the functioning of their economies, activities of nongovernmental organizations, and the behavior of private individuals.
Jurisdiction—the practical authority or specific rights given to a government institution or branch of power.
Left (The)—communist and socialist parties and groups promoting a larger share of the government in the economy, nationalization of key industries, and price control of most important products and services including food and public transportation. The left supports the welfare state, with a vast range of social benefits and services mobilized for the least protected categories of the population.
Legal state—the term used in Russia to emphasize the importance of the law in comparison with some ideological doctrines or political interests.
Lenin—(Vladimir Ulyanov) the leader of the 1917 Bolshevik revolution, organizer of the Soviet state, and founder of Leninism, the official Soviet ideology rooted in Marxism. In most Soviet documents he was referred simply as “Lenin”.
Legislative initiative—ability or capacity of an individual or institution to introduce proposals so that, eventually, they may become law.
Liberal—those in Russia who support predominantly Western models of government, free market economy, free press, transparent government, and independent courts. A typical Russian liberal is easy to recognize because they vehemently oppose authoritarianism.
Litvinenko case—A criminal case that involved evidence of the use of radioactive polonium-210 against the former Russian spy.
Magnitsky Act—A bipartisan bill passed by the US Congress and signed by President Obama to penalize Russian officials believed to be responsible for the death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow prison back in 2009. The case was singled out to make a statement of Washington’s disapproval of the ongoing harassment and discrimination of political opposition and the individuals who dared to go public and revealed examples of massive government corruption in Russia.
Militarism is the set of attitudes and policies that revolve around the persistent aspiration to use military force in response to most foreign threats.
Military doctrine—a principle description of foreign threats against Russia and the general direction of Russia’s defense policies.
Military draft—legal and mandatory requirement of military service.
Muckraking—investigative efforts to expose examples of excessive bureaucracy, negligence, or corruption among business executives or government officials.
Multipolar world—a global situation in which no country claims its military and economic domination. Instead, several countries and international organizations form long-term peaceful alliances working for the global security and economic prosperity.
Nashi—pro-Kremlin youth movement (which means “ours”) organized in 2005 to support policies of Vladimir Putin.
National Agrarian-Industrial Complex Project— a federal project pursuing three major goals: development of stock farms, financial and other support for small farms, and assistance in housing construction in the countryside.
National Priority Projects (NPP) launched in 2005 under endorsement and support of President Putin is a range of massive federal investments and new policies in fields of health care, education, housing, and agriculture.
National Prosperity Fund (or National Well-Being Plan)—the fund to co-finance volunteered pension saving plans for Russian citizens and stabilize the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation.
Nationalities—in Russia, large ethnic groups with their own language, customs, territory, and in most cases, political autonomy.
Nationalization—the process of taking an industry or assets into the public ownership of a national government.
New Economic Policy—the economic policy in the early 1920s that halted massive and excessive confiscations of grain and stock in the countryside and established a more moderate policy of taxation and small free enterprise.
New thinking—the new foreign policy doctrine by Gorbachev based on the assumption that the world must stop ideological competition and turn to so-called universal values of peace and cooperation in international relations.
One mandate districts—electoral districts in which several candidates run for the seat and one gaining a majority of the votes wins.
Oprichnina—under Ivan IV, the declaration of his own rule over vast areas of Russia and a significant expansion of political prosecution and terror against his political opponents and civilian population.
Pacifism—attitudes and policies rooted in the idea international disputes should be settled by arbitration and other nonviolent means.
Parliamentary commissions—special groups of deputies to address particular questions related to the work of the legislature, a policy issue, or implementation of previous decisions of the Duma or the Federation Council.
Party factions—an association of the deputies of the Duma elected according to their party list.
Party-list—a list of ranked candidates, which a political party submits before the elections. Individual voters cast their votes for political parties. Then the counting is simple. After the election, parliamentary seats should be allocated to each party in proportion to the number of votes the party receives.
Paternalism—a popular attitude and related policies of accepting the decisions of a central authority: a mayor, governor, or president.
Perestroika and glasnost—“restructuring” and “openness”. These two key words relate to the process of massive reforms undertaken in the second half of the 1980s and commonly associated with Mikhail Gorbachev, their initiator.
Poisoning scandal—the 2018 scandal was about the poisoning in the United Kingdom of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian security agent, and his daughter. According to the British investigation, the Skripals were poisoned by an extremely potent chemical agent traceable to Russia.
Political censorship—the restrictive practice of reviewing and determining, based on ideological or political considerations, what is allowed for publication or broadcasting.
Political communication—the general ways by which information related to politics and government is distributed.
Political culture—predominant institutions, beliefs and ideas that have played their roles in politics and social developments.
Political mobilization—the ways to preserve, strengthen, or change the existing political system.
Populism—promises and corresponding actions designed to give people what they want. It is also associated with scare tactics and exaggerated threats, persuading people that their major values, assets, and way of life are in danger.
Post-Soviet space—the term referring to Russia as well as several countries that used to be republics of the former Soviet Union.
Power vertical (or “vertical of power”)—the term frequently used in Putin’s speeches and in the media after 2000. In general, the term stands for a strong “hierarchy” in the power system, a kind of a line of subordination. On the one hand, in the eyes of Putin’s supporters, this term stands for an efficient system of management from top to bottom.
Professional schools—schools offering secondary education plus training for a particular profession.
Protectionism—policy of restraining foreign trade and limiting foreign investments.
Radical economic reform—the term used in publications and official documents in the late 1980s. The word “radical” meant that the government suspended many existing Soviet laws and regulations related to economy and trade.
Revolution of Dignity—The 2014 mass protests in Ukraine’s major cities including Kiev that toppled the entire government in Ukraine.
Right (The)—groups focusing primarily on regaining Russia's strength as a state and a powerful force in a global scale. The right supports social conservatism. The ideology of the Russian ultra-right embraces (among other views) monarchism, isolationism, populism, homophobia, anti-Western attitudes, and the desire to restore Russia's armed forces to the meaningful levels of the Cold War.
Russian Criminal Code—a set of written laws related to criminal offenses and descriptions of punishments that should be imposed on convicted offenders. The Russian Criminal Code contains the minimum and maximum limits for each punishment described in the Code, which includes monetary penalty, jail terms, and suspended sentences.
Self-censorship—a self-imposed practice of censoring own work based on fear, deference, or other pragmatic interests.
Separation of powers— the division of government responsibilities into separate branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.
Serfdom—a system of legal dependency for individuals who worked on leased lands belonging to landowners.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization—an international organization involving Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan also joined in 2017. The initial purpose of the group was to eliminate border disputes, reduce presence of the countries’ militaries near state borders, and coordinate efforts related to the countries’ mutual security.
Shock therapy—economic policy in 1992. It was based on three key policies. First, the government encouraged people to privatize property previously owned by the government. Second, federal government was no longer responsible for establishing and controlling prices. Third, the government gave up its obligation to assure employment to every person, which was guaranteed the Soviet Union.
Snowden case—the scandal involving Edward Snowden, an American computer professional, formerly employed by the CIA, who in 2013 illegally copied and leaked classified information from the National Security Agency.
Social policies—government’s actions related to human welfare including people’s quality of life.
Socialist entrepreneurship—the official term that appeared frequently in Soviet newspaper editorials in early stages of perestroika in the 1980s. For the Kremlin, this term meant an ideologically correct blend of socialism with elements of free market.
Socially oriented market economy—Russia’s social policy incorporating both government regulations and free-market principles.
Soft power—their ability to influence other countries as well as international politics by means of example, persuasion, and reputation.
Soviets—elected councils. Initially, as local elected organs, they represented factory workers, soldiers, and peasants. In the Soviet Union, Soviets was the term standing for local, regional, and national parliaments.
Speznaz—any type of special forces designated to use force in extraordinary situations such as hostage-taking or similar cases.
Stabilization Fund—a portion of the Federal Budget to stabilize the economy in case of potential economic or financial problems.
State capitalism is the organization of economy under which federal government controls a large proportion of the economy and plays an important managing role of the chief executive officer.
Strategic national interests—the most essential goals necessary to pursue for the sake of the country’s security and well-being of its people.
Subjects of the Russian Federation—specially recognized territorial units within the established federal state.
Surveys—investigative methods in which large groups of people answer questions on a certain topic. Two types of surveys tend to be most valuable: public opinion polls and expert surveys.
Synod—established by Peter the Great in 1721, a central institution in charge of religious affairs. Peter eliminated the institution of Church Patriarchs as heads of the church thus liquidating the autonomy of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Triumphalist view of the end of the Cold War—the view that the Soviet Union lost the Cold War because of the policies of President Ronald Reagan and, in particular, his tough foreign policy course, aiming at the amplification of American strength and pressuring Moscow on all fronts.
Yeltsin’s resignation—the famous resignation of President Yeltsin in 1999, which cleared the way for Vladimir Putin to run in the 2000 presidential elections as a likely victor.
Zemstvos— elected bodies in local areas responsible for running elementary schools, managing medical care, sanitation, and street planning.
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