Voter Turnout in a Dominant-Party System An Analysis of Electoral Participation in Russia's Regions

Joseph W. Robbins ； Mikhail Rybalko

《Taiwan Journal of Democracy》 11卷2期 (2015/12) Pp. 25-52

並列摘要

This study employs an original dataset of Russia's titular regions (also known as ethnic homelands) to understand better how Russia's party of power influences the inclinations of individual voters to cast their ballots. The essay argues that the presence of Edinaya Rossiya (ER, or United Russia) depresses voter turnout in subnational races due to its dominance, which affects the polity in numerous ways. Specifically, dominant parties may scare off quality challengers, result in lower ＂stakes＂ for an election, and distort the final electoral outcomes, which together discourage individuals from voting. The study's pooled cross-sectional analysis finds support for this argument. The essay concludes with a discussion of the study's implications for Russia's fragmented opposition parties.

並列關鍵字

Dominant-party systems ； voter turnout ； regional politics ； Russia

參考文獻

Harold F. Gosnell, Why Europe Votes (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1930)

Herbert Tingsten, Political Behavior: Studies in Election Statistics (London: P. S. King and Son, 1937)

(“Russian Electoral Statistics Database,” Vladimir Golosov, http://db.geliks.org/ (accessed December 1, 2012).).http://db.geliks.org/

Andrew E. Kramer, “At Chechnya Polling Station, Votes for Putin Exceed the Rolls,” New York Times, March 5, 2012

“Russian Federal Statistics Service,” Goskomstat, http://www.gks.ru (accessed March 10, 2011).