Search

Explores the power relationship between the elite and the masses in the Soviet Union. Structure of power in the Soviet Union; Degree of inequality of power in the Soviet Union and the United States; Indicators of differences in the relative power among social classes.

Public support for Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin has fluctuated significantly over Russia’s first post–Soviet decade. Cultural explanations for these dynamics emphasize the country’s authoritarian culture and Russian preferences for strong and decisive leaders. Neo–institutional theories attribute the dynamics to citizens’ everyday evaluations of presidential performance as the government succeeds or fails in meeting citizens’ needs and demands. This article tests competing cultural and neo–institutional theories of presidential popularity in Russia during the Yeltsin and early Putin years (1991–2000). We develop and estimate a series of political support models of Russian presidential approval. Although we find substantial support for elements of both cultural and neo–institutional theories of presidential popularity, institutional theories perform substantially better in accounting for fluctuations in Yeltsin’s and Putin’s popularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes micro-level political freedom in the Soviet Union. Perceptions on availability of political freedom among Soviet citizens; Definition of perceived freedom; Effect upon political activity; Etiology of freedom perceptions; Comparison with similar survey conducted in the United States to contrast allocation of freedom in capitalist and socialist countries.