Russia And The Steps Toward A Western Democracy - 1745 Words

Russia and the steps toward a Western Democracy Throughout most of the 20th century, Russia has arguably been the most dominant communist country in the world. Russia had created a socio-economic oder that gave the government control of everything from manufacturing, to the distribution of wealth, jobs, food and so forth. The communist ideology was greatly influenced by Karl Marx; a revolutionary communist who believed society functioned best when the governments intervened with markets (although the form of communism found in Russia was tweaked to what Karl Marx suggested) (Hauss, 2015). On the other side of the spectrum, Western nations like the US and Great Britain mainly believed that free markets, democratic governments and minimal government intervention were most effective when it comes to political and social systems.These economic and political ideas where inspired by great economists like Milton Friedman and Adam Smith, who both argued that markets work best when government s intervene less, and the invisible forces of supply and demand would help the economy prosper. An important event that changed the path of Russia’s governmental system was the ending of the Cold War. As the West emerge victorious from the war, so does the idea of Capitalism and Democracy. After the 1980’s, it is evident that many communist countries like Russia and China,there has been a movement towards democracy and laissez faire markets. While some argue that Russia is evolving into aShow MoreRelatedA Comparative Perspective Of Post Communist Transition1357 Words   |  6 PagesTransition in China and Russia The similarities between Russia and China are well known and can be quickly summarised. These are countries with huge territories and population. Both have recent experience of dictatorial communist rule. Both now function in a manner that fails to match up to an ideal model of democracy. And of course, during the past generation both societies have been energetically engaged in a radical economic transition, moving away from state capitalism and towards a free-market economyRead MoreAlexander the Second and the Title Tsar Liberator Essay821 Words   |  4 Pages In the 19th Century, Russia had no zemstva, very little education, industry and railway building, a biased judicial system and very few freed peasants. 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