| Abstract: | 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. Do Russians share this increasingly pessimistic view of Russian democracy and politics under Putin? These issues are addressed using data from national surveys conducted in Russia on six occasions between 1993 and 2007. A possible discrepancy between many elite and international estimates of Russian democracy in practice and the views of ordinary Russian citizens is investigated with attention focused on whether there was a shift in values away from democracy. |
