How Russians View Electoral Fairness: A Qualitative Analysis

Kenneth Wilson

Europe-Asia Studies, 2012, vol. 64, issue 1, 145-168

Abstract: There is a broad consensus that the Duma and presidential elections held in Russia in 2007–2008 failed to meet internationally recognised democratic standards. Post-election public opinion surveys, however, show that most Russians thought that the elections were mainly fair. This discrepancy between the views of international observers and of Russians themselves has not been adequately explained. The main aim of this article, utilising data from a series of focus groups, is to identify potential explanations for why so many Russians assessed these elections as fair, when there was so much evidence to the contrary. Why did so many Russians view egregiously unfair elections as fair? What, furthermore, can this tell us about Russians' political values and what are the possible implications of this for Russia's political development?

Date: 2012
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DOI: 10.1080/09668136.2012.635485

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