Description
Book SynopsisThis book looks at the newly empowered citizens of Russia's protodemocracy facing choices at the ballot box that just a few years ago, under dictatorial rule, they could not have dreamt of. Colton finds that despite their unfamiliarity with democracy, subjects-turned-citizens learn about their electoral options from peers and the mass media.
Trade ReviewTransitional Citizens is a very important study, executed with exemplary thoroughness and consistency. There is no doubt that it will be a major and lasting contribution, important for the study of Russian politics and democratic transitions more generally. -- Thomas F. Remington, Emory University
Colton and an impressive group of collaborators offer a technically excellent addition to the growing body of literature on Russian electoral behavior. The researchers studied voter attitudes related to the 1995 Duma and 1996 presidential elections. A rather large sample and repeated interviews give the study an appearance of authenticity. Colton examines possible variables involved in voters' choices, including socioeconomic characteristics, partisanship, perceptions of leadership, and issues. -- R. J. Mitchell * Choice *
Table of ContentsPreface 1. Subjects into Citizens 2. Transitional Citizens and the Electoral Process 3. Society in Transformation 4. Partisanship in Formation 5. Opinions, Opinions ... 6. Performance, Personality, and Promise 7. Tying the Strands Together Appendix A. Post-Soviet Election Results, 1993-1996 Appendix B. Survey Data, Methods, and Models Appendix C. Summary of Issue Opinions Appendix D. Supplementary Tables Notes Acknowledgments Index
