The following project was the subject of an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002:
The detachment of the citizenry in Russia from politics, combined with professionalisation of electioneering and the media, raises many questions about democratic development and 'good governance' in contemporary Russia. The present research seeks to analyse in more detail the form of democracy emerging in the Russian Federation, especially at the local level, by contrasting Moscow with the mid-Volga areas of Tatarstan, Ul'yanovsk and Samara, three geographically close but politically disparate regions. It ties into the ESRC themes of participation and accountability, examining the evolution of new democracies and how information and communication technologies are affecting democratic practice and participation.
The topic has several theoretical elements. The key themes are the nature of governance, participation, and accountability. At a more specific level, it focuses on several aspects of electoral theory, campaign professionalisation and party organisation models. By building on Ph.D. research, the project gives the opportunity to supplement previous observations made during the federal, regional and local elections of the 1999-2001 cycle. It thus casts light not only on the nature of electioneering per se, but on the nature of governance in contemporary Russia in general.
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