Contemporary Russia. People and Power.

Throughout the course, students explore issues related to topics of Russian Government Structure, illegal migration, environmental security, international and domestic terrorism, and also topics of Russian-American relations. Students read, listen, translate, and analyze in Russian, formulating acquired knowledge through writing, discussions, and group and individual presentations. Students use authentic materials from various Internet sources, including government and NGO. Each student picks one topic of interest and gives presentations on the topic every week. This course is designed with the emphasis on studying the branches of the Russian government, the Constitution of the Russian Federation and related terminology. By the end of this course, the students should be familiar with Russian constitutional history, events and individuals that played a formative role in the development of the modern Russian state. The students should have detailed knowledge of the branches of the current Russian government, their functions, and fundamental principles of the Russian Constitution. The students should be familiar with today’s most influential politicians and their backgrounds.