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Dynamics of political electoral preferences among residents of closed cities in Russia (1995-2003)

Tarasenko G.K.,

HSE University, Moscow, Russia, gt298@cornell.edu

RESEARCHER_ID: AAH-2108-2021

Article received: 2022.05.30. Accepted: 2023.08.18


DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2024.01.09
EDN: KFBTNY

Rubric: Russia today

For citation:

Tarasenko G.K. Dynamics of political electoral preferences among residents of closed cities in Russia (1995-2003). – Polis. Political Studies. 2024. No. 1. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2024.01.09. EDN: KFBTNY (In Russ.)

The article was prepared in the framework of a research grant funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (grant ID: 075-15-2022-325). The author gratefully acknowledges feedback from Olga Malinova and participants of the “Academic Writing” course at the Graduate School of Political Science (HSE University, Spring 2021), as well as from Timur Natkhov, Kyle Markquardt, and Kirill Shamiev.

Abstract

This study explores the political aspect of closed cities, which is understudied compared to their managerial and economic aspects. The author examines the association between the status of a closed city and political preferences in 1990s. The study suggests that closed cities were strongholds of both liberal and anti-communist voting. It also hypothesizes that the differences in political preferences between closed cities and the rest of Russia diminish over time. The author collects electoral data from 1995 to 2003 and employs regression analysis, finding support for these hypotheses. However, the effect of voting for the “party in power” varies depending on the specific party project. This research contributes to understanding the political uniqueness of closed cities, considering their regional characteristics and social capital.

Keywords

political preferences, voting behavior, closed city, political transit, social capital.

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