Final answer:
Russia's constitution provides for a semi-presidential system by combining features of both presidential and parliamentary systems, with a directly elected president and a prime minister who must have legislative support.
Step-by-step explanation:
Russia's constitution provides for a semi-presidential system in the following way: it establishes a system where there is a blend of both presidential and parliamentary features. Specifically, the country has an independently elected president and a prime minister who must have the support of the legislative majority. In a semi-presidential system like Russia's, the president is not wholly dependent on the legislative branch, as they are directly elected by the people, yet they must work with the legislature due to the division of powers and shared responsibilities with the prime minister. This type of regime allows for both executives, president and prime minister, to have significant political power, which may differ in scope but is often clearly defined.
One of the key distinctions of a semi-presidential system is that it can potentially harbor greater opportunities for authoritarian rule compared to its parliamentary or presidential counterparts, as evidenced by the example of Russia under Vladimir Putin. Nevertheless, there is significant variation among semi-presidential countries, with some like France achieving high freedom scores from organizations like Freedom House.