Popular Support for Competitive Elections in the Soviet Union

Abstract

Meaningful electoral competition was introduced into the Soviet Union beginning with the all-union elections of March 1989. Based on a survey representative of the Moscow oblast and a survey representative of the European USSR conducted in the spring of 1990, mass support for the institution of competitive elections is analyzed. Using the modernization approach to explaining regime liberalization, the author investigates the levels of this support, the extent to which it is diffuse versus instrumental, and analyzes relationships between support for competitive elections and key demographic and attitudinal indicators. Support for elections at the time of the survey was high, with a substantial diffuse component. In addition, those most enthusiastic about electoral competition are groups whose support is generally thought to be crucial for successful transitions from authoritarian rule.