| Description: |
Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely credited with the canny and sometimes cannily ruthless exercise of political power. Previous research has called this narrative into question, suggesting that Putin’s popularity has been more volatile than is generally recognized and has been a function largely of underlying political and economic fundamentals. Using Levada Center monthly polls, this paper extends and updates previous research on the ebb and flow of popular support for Vladimir Putin from his appointment as Acting President in December, 1999 through the end of 2015. The evidence shows that he has not been able to escape the increasingly negative effects of Russian political and economic fundamentals. The portrait is of a leader striving to survive in difficult circumstances.
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