Evolution of the Russian Political Party System under the Influence of Social Conformity: 1993-2011

Coleman, Stephen (2014): Evolution of the Russian Political Party System under the Influence of Social Conformity: 1993-2011.

Abstract

The Russian political party system has developed through a tumultuous era, progressing from extreme fragmentation to a smaller, more stable number of parties. Much of this change was engineered by elites and especially by President Putin, leading to the question of whether the result is a normal party system by traditional Western standards or just a tool of the government. By means of a predictive mathematical model, the analysis shows that the party system indeed has grown strong popular roots with a great impact on the overall distribution of votes among the parties. This is caused by the pervasive but unconscious effect of social conformity on voters.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Russia; political parties; voting; mathematical model; social conformity; unconscious behavior
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C1 - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General; C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C5 - Econometric Modeling > C51 - Model Construction and Estimation; D - Microeconomics > D7 - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making > D72 - Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior; D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D87 - Neuroeconomics; P - Economic Systems > P3 - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions

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