| Description: |
In the time that has passed since the Soviet Union disappeared at the end of 1991, Russians have had to alter their behaviour or risk becoming marginalized in a post-transformation society. How and why have Russians adapted to political transformation? This paper answers these questions by drawing on a unique source of evidence is available in the 14 New Russia Barometer (NRB) nationwide sample surveys from January, 1992 to January, 2005 (Table 1). The surveys show that Russians differ from each other in whether or not they give support to the new regime--and their evaluations have fluctuated substantially since 1992. Because the same questions over more than a decade, it is possible to test not only the influence of economic, political and social influences on political support, but also the importance of the passage of time in gradually leading Russians to adapt to the new regime. Adaptation can involve giving positive support or being resigned to accept the regime as a lesser evil with no expectation that it can be replaced in future by another system, whether autocratic or democratic.
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