- Russian in full:
- Gosudarstvennaya Duma (“State Assembly”)
- Date:
- 1906 - March 1917
Duma
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What is the Duma?
The Duma was an elected legislative body that, along with the State Council, formed the imperial Russian legislature from 1906 until it was dissolved during the March 1917 Revolution. It served as the lower house of the Russian parliament, while the State Council was the upper house.
The Duma was initiated as a result of the 1905 revolution. Tsar Nicholas II's October Manifesto (October 30, 1905) established the Duma, with the promise that it would be a representative assembly whose approval would be necessary for the enactment of laws. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian Federation replaced its old Soviet-era constitution in 1993 with a document that revived the name "State Duma" for the lower house of the Federal Assembly.
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What country has the Duma as part of its government?
The Duma, or State Duma, is part of the government of the Russian Federation. It is the lower house of the Federal Assembly, the legislative body of Russia, with the Federation Council being the upper house. The State Duma consists of 450 members who are elected by universal suffrage to serve four-year terms. The Duma's primary function is to pass legislation, which requires a majority vote.
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What is the main purpose of the Duma?
The Duma was conceived as Russia's first genuine attempt at parliamentary government. Established by Tsar Nicholas II in 1905 amid the revolution, it was designed as an elected legislative body whose approval was necessary for the enactment of laws.
However, the Fundamental Laws issued in April 1906, before the First Duma convened, curtailed its authority. The Duma lacked control over state ministers and parts of the state budget, and its ability to initiate legislation was limited. Despite these constraints, the Duma became a focal point of opposition to the imperial regime, especially during World War I.
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How are members of the Duma chosen?
The Duma, Russia's elected legislative body, emerged from the 1905 Revolution. Tsar Nicholas II established it via the October Manifesto, envisioning it as a representative assembly whose approval was vital for enacting laws.
The initial electoral process favored the peasantry, expected to be conservative. However, liberals and socialists dominated the first two Dumas, leading to their quick dissolution by the Tsar. In 1907, Prime Minister Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin restricted the franchise to reduce radical and minority representation, resulting in a more conservative Third Duma.
After the Soviet Union's collapse, the State Duma was revived with 450 members elected by universal suffrage to four-year terms. Half are chosen by proportional representation, the other half from single-member constituencies.
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What are some powers or responsibilities of the Duma?
The Duma, or State Duma, is the lower house of the Russian parliament, called the Federal Assembly. It consists of 450 members elected by universal suffrage to a term of four years.
Key powers and responsibilities:
* Passing legislation via majority vote
* Overriding a presidential veto by a two-thirds majority vote
* Approving the prime minister and other high-ranking government officials who are nominated by the president
* Removing the president from office for serious offenses with a two-thirds majority and approval by the Russian Constitutional Court2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has the role of the Duma changed throughout Russia's history?
The role of the Duma, Russia's elected legislative body, has changed significantly throughout history. Established in 1905, it was meant to be a representative assembly whose approval was necessary for laws to be enacted.
However, the Fundamental Laws of 1906 limited its power, and the emperor could bypass it by decree. The first two Dumas were dissolved due to their liberal and socialist opposition. A restricted franchise led to a more conservative Third Duma, which generally supported the government. The Fourth Duma, initially conservative, grew critical of the government during World War I and became a center of opposition.
After 1991, the State Duma was revived as the lower house of the Federal Assembly. It consists of 450 members elected by universal suffrage. It is the chief legislative chamber, with the power to approve the prime minister and override presidential vetoes.
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Duma, elected legislative body that, along with the State Council, constituted the imperial Russian legislature from 1906 until its dissolution at the time of the March 1917 Revolution. The Duma constituted the lower house of the Russian parliament, and the State Council was the upper house. As a traditional institution, the Duma (meaning “deliberation”) had precedents in certain deliberative and advisory councils of pre-Soviet Russia, notably in the boyar dumas (existing from the 10th to the 17th century) and the city dumas (1785–1917). The Gosudarstvennaya Duma, or state duma, however, constituted the first genuine attempt toward parliamentary government in Russia.
Initiated as a result of the 1905 revolution, the Duma was established by Tsar Nicholas II in his October Manifesto (October 30, 1905), which promised that it would be a representative assembly and that its approval would be necessary for the enactment of legislation. But the Fundamental Laws, issued in April 1906, before the First Duma met (May 1906), deprived it of control over state ministers and portions of the state budget and limited its ability to initiate legislation effectively.
Four Dumas met (May 10–July 21, 1906; March 5–June 16, 1907; November 14, 1907–June 22, 1912; and November 28, 1912–March 11, 1917). They rarely enjoyed the confidence or the cooperation of the ministers or the emperor, who retained the right to rule by decree when the Duma was not in session. The first two Dumas were elected indirectly (except in five large cities) by a system that gave undue representation to the peasantry, which the government expected to be conservative. The Dumas were, nevertheless, dominated by liberal and socialist opposition groups that demanded extensive reforms. Both Dumas were quickly dissolved by the tsar.
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In 1907, by a virtual coup d’état, Prime Minister Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin restricted the franchise to reduce the representation of radical and national minority groups. The Third Duma, elected on that basis, was conservative. It generally supported the government’s agrarian reforms and military reorganization; and, although it criticized bureaucratic abuses and government advisers, it survived its full five-year term.
The Fourth Duma was also conservative. But as World War I progressed, it became increasingly dissatisfied with the government’s incompetence and negligence, especially in supplying the army. By the spring of 1915 the Duma had become a focal point of opposition to the imperial regime. At the outset of the March Revolution of 1917, it established the Provisional Committee of the Duma, which formed the first Provisional Government and accepted the abdication of Nicholas II.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian Federation in 1993 replaced its old Soviet-era constitution with a new document that revived the name “State Duma” for the lower house of the newly created Federal Assembly, or Russian national parliament. (The Federation Council comprised the upper house.) The revived Duma consisted of 450 members elected by universal suffrage to a four-year term. Half of the Duma’s members were elected by proportional representation, and the other half by single-member constituencies. The revived Duma was the chief legislative chamber and passed legislation by majority vote. The Federal Assembly could override a presidential veto of such legislation by a two-thirds majority vote. The Duma also had the right to approve the prime minister and other high government officials nominated by the president.