What happens when people stop caring about politics? This course addresses relationships between the Russian Federation and the United States in contemporary and historical perspective. The economy of the Russian Federation is smaller than the economy of New York State, yet relationships with Russia and its war in Ukraine are a concern for governments from Washington, DC to Beijing. How does Russia seem to punch so far above its weight? This lecture course considers topics such as societal values, political institutions, economic inequality, Cold War-era alliances, the changing conduct of war, and transformations forged by shifts in information environments. The course considers struggles in both Russia and America to reckon with imperialist violence and legacies of colonialism, while analyzing consequences of depoliticization and quiescence. **Students must register for both the lecture and discussion section of this course.** NOTE: Lecture will be delivered asynchronously online. Section B will be delivered online. All other discussion sections are scheduled for in-person instruction on campus. [This ULEC is in category 1, Tools for Social Change.]