Russian Citizens and Russian Democracy: Perceptions of State Governance and Democratic Practice, 1993-2007

Journal article

Many observers of Russian politics since 1993, and particularly in the Putin years, have pointed to great and growing deficits in the democratic character and performance of its institutions. But do Russians share this increasingly pessimistic view of Russian democracy and politics under Putin? This paper addresses these issues using data from national surveys conducted in Russia on six occasions between 1993 and 2007. The results suggest that Russians are highly critical of the performance of their democratic institutions but they do not indicate a growing critical tendency in the Putin years. Moreover, the lack of growth in democratic criticism does not appear to be because of a shift in values among Russians away from democracy itself. There appears, therefore, to be a discrepancy between many elite and international estimates of Russian democracy in practice and the views of ordinary Russian citizens.

Authors: Whitefield, S

• Publisher: Bellwether Publishing
• Journal: Post-Soviet Affairs
• Publication date: 2009-01-01