Ethnic Cleavages in Russia
Introduction
Russia can be divided into over 185 different ethnic groups, which, unsurprisingly, cause great deal of conflicts between each other. From as far back as the USSR, Russia's different ethnic groups, which contradict each other in their boundaries and their beliefs, have been hostile to one another. In this page we will discuss the two major conflicts between different groups and what effect they cause on the political participation.
History
The cause of the cleavage is quite simple: they are less in number, but are very divided. The minority groups in Russia makes up only about 20% of the total population, thus, they are mostly insignificant in the political scene. Moreover, since Russia consists of more than 180 different ethnic groups, all these minorities who lived in Russia have to work together to make their voice hear. Therefore, the minorities in Russia that participate actively in elections are either the ones who know that the only way they can participate and actually affect the government is by supporting their minority candidates, and the rest that do not are the ones who gave up, or knows that they cannot ever be represented.
After 1991 when the USSR collapse, the Russian Federation was formed and allowed people to vote. In the first election which was held in 1993, 78% of the minorities in Russia had voted. Despite their effort, they only gained few seats. After each election, the minorities worked together and the number of elected minority candidates has increased each year. Although the minorities tries hard to participate, they still could not defeat the dominating power, which are the native Russians.
The cause of the cleavage is quite simple: they are less in number, but are very divided. The minority groups in Russia makes up only about 20% of the total population, thus, they are mostly insignificant in the political scene. Moreover, since Russia consists of more than 180 different ethnic groups, all these minorities who lived in Russia have to work together to make their voice hear. Therefore, the minorities in Russia that participate actively in elections are either the ones who know that the only way they can participate and actually affect the government is by supporting their minority candidates, and the rest that do not are the ones who gave up, or knows that they cannot ever be represented.
After 1991 when the USSR collapse, the Russian Federation was formed and allowed people to vote. In the first election which was held in 1993, 78% of the minorities in Russia had voted. Despite their effort, they only gained few seats. After each election, the minorities worked together and the number of elected minority candidates has increased each year. Although the minorities tries hard to participate, they still could not defeat the dominating power, which are the native Russians.
Political Participation
Under the harsh consequences that the minorities are under, it is almost impossible for most minorities from actively participate in political scene. Even as majority, many people's voices are unheard, then, it goes without saying that minorities will enjoy equal rights. However, it is not solely the corrupted government and the discrimination against minorities that keep them away from politics. Because there are many different types of ethnic groups in Russia, almost reaching up to 200, not all their representatives can have a sit in the government, and even if they do, they will barely have any influence, without any other representatives from the same ethnic group.
Unable to make their voices heard, many ethnic groups turned to other measures, such as protest, and blogging, to gain equal representation as the majority. Despite their hard work, such indirect participation only caused unrest between different minority groups, and even with the government itself, which would respond by excluding the minority from the political scene even more. What most minority groups end up doing is that they either give up on influencing the politics, or they combine to form greater groups to represent themselves, or they compete each other for seats.
Under the harsh consequences that the minorities are under, it is almost impossible for most minorities from actively participate in political scene. Even as majority, many people's voices are unheard, then, it goes without saying that minorities will enjoy equal rights. However, it is not solely the corrupted government and the discrimination against minorities that keep them away from politics. Because there are many different types of ethnic groups in Russia, almost reaching up to 200, not all their representatives can have a sit in the government, and even if they do, they will barely have any influence, without any other representatives from the same ethnic group.
Unable to make their voices heard, many ethnic groups turned to other measures, such as protest, and blogging, to gain equal representation as the majority. Despite their hard work, such indirect participation only caused unrest between different minority groups, and even with the government itself, which would respond by excluding the minority from the political scene even more. What most minority groups end up doing is that they either give up on influencing the politics, or they combine to form greater groups to represent themselves, or they compete each other for seats.
Sources:
Managing Ethnic Diversity in Russia -- Author: Oleh Protsyk,Benedikt Harzl
http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=2492
http://nehs-apcompgov.wikispaces.com/Citizens+Russia+Period+3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ethnic_map_of_Russia_2010.png
Managing Ethnic Diversity in Russia -- Author: Oleh Protsyk,Benedikt Harzl
http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=2492
http://nehs-apcompgov.wikispaces.com/Citizens+Russia+Period+3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ethnic_map_of_Russia_2010.png