Course
Course Description
Culture, Public Policy and Administration in Russia (SPEA V482/V582) covers the basics of public policy reforms in Russia surrounding urban economic development, especially housing, health, energy, and labor market reforms. It also covers the structure of Russian governance and politics as well as administrative and civil service reforms in Russia, including the structure of government at the national, regional and local levels as well as insights into the Russian bureaucracy and politics.
This course covers a wide variety of issues related to the government of Russia and its transition to a democracy. Selected topics include the current structure of the government, efforts at building fiscal capacity, regional development, health, safety and security, as well as Russian culture. All field trips are mandatory and provide insight into both the governance of Russia as well as its culture. Students will be expected to write in journals or a class blog about each of these trips.
Lectures from expert professors from the Higher School of Economics (HSE) will discuss:
- Introduction to Russian State Bureaucracy – Its Size, Composition and Dynamics
- Financial and Economic Crises in the Russian Federation: Overcoming the Consequences
- Political Parties in the Russian Federation
- Introduction to the Civil Service Organization and Functions in the Russian Federation
- Local Self-Government in the RF
- Administrative Ethics and Combating Corruption
- Ethics and Law in Politics and Public Administration
- Administrative Reform in the Russian Federation
- Urban Economics
- Energy Resources and Their Development in the Russian Federation
- NGOs in Russia
- Public Health Service in the Russian Federation
Excursions, Field Trips, and Site visits include:
- Guided tour of the Kremlin, the Armory, and the Treasury
- Guided tour of the Tretyakov museum and galleries
- Guided tour of the Pushkin museum
- Tour/visit at the Duma or Federation Council (the equivalents of the US House of Representatives and the Senate)
- Trip to Sergiev Possad, the center of the Russian Orthodox religion, with beautiful churches
- Tour and discussion led by Dr. Alexander Puzanov at the Institute for Urban Economics
- Boat trip on the Moscva River, which runs through the center of Moscow
- Cultural show of traditional Russian song and dance at the Cosmos Hotel
- Optional trips to the Bolshoi and other local theatres
- Walking tour of central Moscow including the Old Arbat Street, a quaint pedestrian walkway with shops, cultural activities, and cafes
V482 is in the following undergraduate majors. To find out how this fits into your specific degree, please see your academic advisor.
