Politics & Government Week
November 20, 2008

POLITICAL SCIENCE;
Reports outline political science research from University of
Aberdeen, King’s College

According to a study from Scotland, "This article analyzes the
”realist” support for the current regime as well as the support for
democracy as a set of ”idealist” principles in Russia, Ukraine,
Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It
also analyzes political support for nondemocratic regimes as
alternatives to democratic governance."

"The main conclusion of this article is that mass public support for
democracy as the best form of government encompasses an absolute
majority of citizens in Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, and
Belarus as well as a relative majority of Russian citizens. Political
support for the current regimes declined between 1992 and 2002 and
collapsed in Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia. This collapse of
public support for the current political regime contributed to the
”revolutions” in Georgia and Ukraine. The proportion of supporters
for authoritarian regimes in Russia and the other post-Soviet
countries decreased from about one-third to one-fifth of their
respective electorates," wrote C.W. Haerpfer and colleagues,
University of Aberdeen, King’s College.

The researchers concluded: "This cross-national study provides
empirical evidence of increasing support for democracy as an ideal
form of government and a corresponding decrease in support for
autocracy in eight political regimes in the Commonwealth of States
area in the period from 1992 until 2002."

Haerpfer and colleagues published their study in International
Political Science Review (Support for democracy and autocracy in
Russia and the commonwealth of Independent States,
1992-2002. International Political Science Review,
2008;29(4):411-431).

For more information, contact C.W. Haerpfer, University of Aberdeen,
Kings College, Dept. of Polit & International Relat, School Social
Science, Dunbar St., Aberdeen AB24 3QY, Scotland.

Publisher contact information for the journal International Political
Science Review is: Sage Publications Ltd., 1 Olivers Yard, 55 City
Road, London EC1Y 1SP, England.