AHS Comparative Government

On Friday, the Russian State Duma voted to reduce the penalty for domestic violence in the country.  380 Deputies voted in favor of a bill that will make assault on a family member that does not cause permanent injury a misdemeanor, punishable by a $500 fine or 15 days of community service; only three Deputies opposed the draft law.  Under the measure, a second domestic assault within one year of the first will carry a more severe penalty. 

Not only does the bill soften the penalty for domestic violence, it makes the crime harder to prosecute: it will be up to the victim of a domestic assault to gather evidence and bring a case against a family member.

The measure has been championed by ultra-conservatives and by the Russian Orthodox Church, the same coalition that, in 2013, persuaded the Russian Federal Assembly to adopt a law criminalizing "gay propaganda."  The bill is expected to win easy approval in the Federation Council, and to be signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-38767873

Faced with steep reductions in the grants they receive from the British government, local authorities in Britain have reduced their spending on public services by 22% since 2010.  Such services as planning and development, housing and transportation have been hit especially hard.  With further reductions in central government grants projected for the next three years, local governments in Britain may be forced to make deeper cuts in social services that aid the poor and the otherwise vulnerable:

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21715673-amid-painful-fiscal-squeeze-some-authorities-may-soon-be-unable-meet-their-statutory

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May gave her most clear statement yet on what the British government will try to achieve when it negotiates Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.  May had previously stated that Britain will formally notify its European partners in March of its decision to leave the EU; that notification will begin a two year period in which Britain will negotiate the terms of its departure with the 27 remaining EU members.

In Tuesday's speech, May appeared to acknowledge that Britain cannot remain in the EU's single market and customs union without also: 1) continuing to abide by EU economic regulations designed to prevent European countries from adopting economic regulations that favor their domestic producers over producers in other European countries, and 2) accepting the "free movement of labor" from EU countries to Britain (i.e., continuing to permit significant levels of European immigration to Britain).  Given that the British voters who supported Brexit in last June's referendum were motivated by a combination of ostensibly principled opposition to "economic regulation from Brussels" and rather less principled anti-immigrant sentiment (with the latter motivation more salient), May announced that Britain was prepared to sacrifice its privileged access to the European market (access which is of great benefit to British exporters and British banks) in order to make its own economic regulations and to prevent significant levels of further immigration to the country:

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21714960-theresa-may-opts-clean-break-europe-negotiations-will-still-be-tricky-doing-brexit

Alexei Kudrin resigned as Russia's Finance Minister in 2011, in protest over planned increases in military spending that he believed were fiscally imprudent.  Kudrin, however, has remained friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who respects Kudrin for the effectiveness with which he managed the Russian economy in the 2000s.  Indeed, some news outlets speculated earlier this year that, given the persistence of the current economic downturn in Russia, Putin might tap Kudrin to replace Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev.

Earlier this week, Kudrin gave a speech in which he proposed political and economic reform measures that, he said, would restore Russian economic growth to 4% annually -- a level that would allow Russians, one day, to enjoy European standards of living.  The Economist, however, believes that Putin will likely not pursue the reforms Kudrin outlined because they would weaken Putin's hold on the country:

http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21715022-donald-trumps-election-many-russians-think-putins-model-winning-alexei-kudrin-wants

Lei Yang, a young scientist, died last May while in the custody of the Beijing police.  Although the authorities claimed that Lei had suffered a heart attack, his body was bloody and bruised.  A subsequent autopsy found that Lei had choked to death.  Lei's friends and relatives, outraged, began to circulate petitions calling for an investigation into Lei's death and to post articles online about police misconduct.  The authorities responded by ordering an investigation into Lei's arrest and by increasing internet censorship.

In December, state prosecutors decided that the police officers responsible for Lei's death would not be charged.  That decision resulted in even greater public anger, particularly among young, well-educated urbanites -- the very people whose support the Chinese Communist Party regards as essential to political stability:

http://www.economist.com/news/china/21714389-public-resentment-police-brutality-growing-death-custody-chinese-scandal-will

In his campaign for the presidency of the United States, Donald Trump promised to build a wall along the Mexican border -- and to make Mexico pay for the wall.  He also promised to impose tariffs on goods manufactured in Mexico by US firms, a move that could set off a costly US-Mexico trade war.

Given Trump's mercurial temperament, no one can be sure what his policy toward Mexico will be once he takes office.  But his election has already weakened the Mexican economy.  Mexicans are preparing for a difficult four years:

http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21714397-protectionist-entering-white-house-mexico-ponders-its-options-donald-trumps

Late last year, the Mexican government announced that it would phase out gasoline price subsidies over the course of 2017.  On 1 January, gasoline price subsidies were reduced; gasoline prices rose 20%.  Since then, truck drivers have established barricades in Mexican cities, and blocked roads leading into the capital, in order to protest the price increases.  Mass demonstrations have also broken out, accompanied in places by looting.  So far, 1500 people have been arrested in the protests and at least six people have been killed:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38543198

Former Iranian president Akbar Hasehmi Rafsanjani died Sunday of a sudden heart attack.  He was 82:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-22494982

The Chinese Communist Party holds a National Party Congress every five years; the CCP formally selects its leadership for the following five years at each Party Congress.  In fact, the composition of the CCP's senior leadership is negotiated among the CCP's existing leaders and factions in the months preceding the Party Congress.

The next National Party Congress will be held this fall, and the behind-the-scenes jostling for position has already begun.  The current General Secretary of the CCP, Xi Jinping, will almost certainly remain head of the Party: Xi is the most powerful leader to emerge in China since Deng Xiaoping led the country in the 1980s.  But there are an unusually large number of openings to fill on the CCP's most important bodies, the Central Committee, the Political Bureau ("Politburo"), and the Politburo Standing Committee.  Moreover, assuming that Xi follows the practice of his two immediate predecessors and retires from the Party's leadership after two terms as CCP General Secretary, the identity of his probable successor should become clear at or immediately following the Party Congress.  Then again, there is always the possibility that Xi might not step down as the head of the CCP in five years:

http://www.economist.com/news/china/21713913-reading-runes-will-be-even-more-difficult-usual-xi-jinping-busy-arranging-huge

Six months ago, Theresa May became the leader of the British Conservative Party and Prime Minister of Britain.  Evaluating May's first months in office, The Economist gives May high marks for her managerial style: serious, professional and modest.  May's most important task, however, is to negotiate the terms of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.  May has promised to begin those negotiations in March.  The Economist contends that the British government is unprepared to begin Brexit negotiations:

http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21713834-understanding-britains-unelected-prime-minister-and-her-prospects-means-grasping-her-background

Iranians have been shocked by newspaper photographs showing homeless Iranians living in empty graves.  The homeless are sheltering for warmth; Tehran has chilly winters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-homelessness-idUSKBN14I1O1

The photographs may be viewed here:

http://www.euronews.com/2016/12/27/in-pictures-homeless-iranians-find-shelter-from-cold-in-empty-graves