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Russia's Stalled Democracy
| Article
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20924 |
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Section : |
SPECIAL SECTION
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| Issue
Date : |
3 / 2000 |
4,632 Words |
| Author
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Michael McFaul
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Russia today is an electoral democracy. Political leaders come to power through the ballot box. They are not appointed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party. They do not take office by seizing power through the use of force. Most elites in Russia and the vast majority of the Russian population now recognize elections as the only legitimate means to power. Leaders and parties that espouse authoritarian practices--be they fascists or neocommunists--have moved to the margins of Russia's political stage. Given Russia's thousand-year history of autocratic rule, the emergence of electoral democracy must be recognized as a revolutionary achievement of the last decade.
Russia is not a liberal democracy. Its political system lacks many of the supporting institutions that make democracy robust. Russia's party system, civil society, and rule of law are weak and underdeveloped. Executives, both at the national and regional levels have too much power. Crime and corruption, forces that corrode democracy, are still rampant. Over the last several years, Russia's media, while still independent and pluralistic, have become increasingly dependent on oligarchic business empires. The Russian state still lacks the capacity to provide basic public goods, and the economy continues to sputter along. All these attributes impede the deepening of democratic institutions.
In recognizing these shortcomings, many have predicted for several years now that Russian democracy will collapse and be replaced by a new authoritarian regime. In 1996, many analysts affirmed that President Boris Yeltsin could not win reelection and therefore would hold on to to power by nondemocratic means. It did not happen. Instead, Yeltsin faced the voters and won
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