Russia is an enigma. In the western hemisphere, respectively the countries of the European Union and USA, it produces a lot of suspicion and resentments. Its vast spatial dimensions, in terms of size; its controversial history and its stubborn focus on sovereignty, when it comes to foreign policy and the international community, are the most prominent sources for difficulties of understanding. In addition, the Russian people liketo sustain a hint of mystery themselves, in claiming that no other nationality can understand them. Apart from stereotypes and prejudices about typical Russian people and characteristics, there are a handful of assumptions one encounters that cling to public opinion about Russia’s political landscape:
(1) Political opposition does not exist, civic opposition is marginalised.
(2) The independence of the judiciary system is a façade and de facto does not effectively monitor the executive.
(3) The Soviet imprint on Russian people led to a mentality of subordination, inflexibility and obedience to any kind of authority.
(4) The Russian media are corrupted and controlled by the Kremlin.
(5) Putin only won the election due to massive vote manipulation.
In line with the mentioned assumptions, Western media coverage tends to be polemic and jaundiced. As Russia is perceived as a watchdog of Sovereignty in the international community and in that sense with a tendency to veto humanitarian missions , criticism is very easily formulated.
This work will treat the Russian political system as a contemporary phenomenon. Let us assume all of those assumptions are held true; why does the Russian population still accept those deficits? The fact that the circumstances can be that unpromising, and not many people try tochange something, leaves many spectators speechless. Where does the popular support of society for President Putin come from? What is the source of stability? Why were the civil opposition movements in 2012/2013 mostly ignored by the majority? What are the reasons for the lack of proneness to protest? Do Russians perceive the political system differently; do they maybe put another focus? Or do they simply fear oppression?
The central question, which will be answered, consequently reads "Why does the Russian population supports Putin’s political system and regime?"
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- State of Affairs
- Hypothesis
- Structure
- Theory
- Democracy
- A western view on the concept of democracy: Robert Dahl's Polyarchy
- Legitimacy
- Glaser: Three-Criteria Theory
- Scharpf: Dimensions of Legitimation
- Lippmann: Public Opinion
- Path Dependence
- Berg-Schlosser: Input/Output-Dualism and indicators of Democracy
- Case Study Russia
- State of Inquiry
- Result 1: "The Russian Political System is defect and dysfunctional"
- Result 2: "A majority of Russians support President Putin's presidency"
- Result 3: “Russians are in favour of democracy, respect democratic values and hope for further democratization”
- Contradiction: Russians are fully aware of the intrinsic systemic dysfunctions and undemocratic inconsistencies, and support President Putin, although they yearn for democracy
- Russian Peculiarities
- Presidential legacy
- Russian path dependence: The Trauma Path
- Dubin: Dimensions of Identity - The Personal-Social Gap
- Explaining the contradiction
- The Triple-S Pattern (S3P)
- Stability
- Security
- Sovereignty
- Legitimation through SP
- Lippmann's tools of Public Opinion shaping in the Russian context
- Huntington's Development Theory and Institutionalization
- Results and further Research
- Summary of Results
- S3P applied to the Pussy Riot incident
- Reflection and free Association
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis explores the complexities of democracy in Russia, specifically investigating the apparent contradiction between public support for President Putin and widespread awareness of the system's undemocratic nature. It seeks to understand this phenomenon by analyzing the concept of "output-oriented legitimacy," examining the concept of "defect democracy" in the Russian context, and evaluating the role of political culture and path dependence in shaping public opinion.- The concept of "output-oriented legitimacy" and its application to Russia
- The prevalence of "defect democracy" in Russia and its impact on public opinion
- The role of political culture and path dependence in shaping Russian attitudes towards democracy
- The influence of security, stability, and sovereignty on public opinion and legitimacy in Russia
- The potential for democratic development in Russia and the challenges it faces
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The thesis starts by introducing the current state of affairs in Russia, highlighting the contradiction between public support for President Putin and recognition of the system's democratic deficits. It then presents the hypothesis that the concept of "output-oriented legitimacy" offers a plausible explanation for this phenomenon. Chapter 2 dives into the theoretical framework, defining key concepts like democracy, legitimacy, public opinion, path dependence, and input/output dualism. It introduces the theoretical perspective of "defect democracy" and explores different approaches to understanding legitimacy. Chapter 3 focuses on the case study of Russia, presenting empirical findings related to the Russian political system, public opinion, and societal attitudes. It analyzes the contradiction between public support for Putin and awareness of the undemocratic nature of the system, highlighting specific challenges and characteristics of the Russian context. Chapter 4 delves into the explanation of the contradiction, introducing the "Triple-S Pattern" (S3P) as a framework for understanding the role of stability, security, and sovereignty in shaping public opinion and legitimacy. It analyzes the process of legitimation through S3P and discusses how the "tools" of public opinion shaping, as described by Lippmann, are employed in the Russian context. Chapter 5 concludes with a summary of results and further research directions.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This thesis focuses on the dynamics of democracy in Russia, exploring the interconnected concepts of "output-oriented legitimacy," "defect democracy," political culture, path dependence, and public opinion. It analyzes the role of stability, security, and sovereignty (S3P) in shaping public opinion and legitimacy, highlighting the influence of these factors on the Russian political landscape. The case study of Russia examines empirical data related to the Russian political system, public opinion, and societal attitudes, shedding light on the challenges and complexities of democratic development in the country.- Quote paper
- Jonas Wolterstorff (Author), 2013, Theories of Democracy in Comparison: The Russian Case. Output-oriented Legitimacy, Defect Democracy, Political Culture, Path Dependence and Public Opinion, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/281667
