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Patterns of Competitiveness in Russian Gubernatorial Elections

  • Competitiveness in electoral authoritarian regimes is compromised by management of the electoral arena through various kinds of manipulation. This study links two dimensions of competitiveness, namely fairness and contestation. We analyze the regional heterogeneity of both dimensions for Russian gubernatorial elections held between 2012 and 2019. To assess competitiveness, we use crowd-sourced electoral observation reports and data from the Central Election Commission. Our analysis reveals significant regional variation in both dimensions. Nevertheless, opposition victories are rare and only occur in exceptional cases. Low levels of electoral malpractices seem to be a necessary but not sufficient condition for close election results. Windows of opportunity for the opposition arise only if the regime misperceives the closeness of the race and if the opposition nominates prominent candidates. Overall, these findings shed light on the complex factors influencing the competitiveness of elections in electoral authoritarian regimes like Russia.

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Metadaten
URN:urn:nbn:de:kobv:526-opus4-18497
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10767-024-09466-5
Author:Kristin EichhornORCiD, Eric Linhart
Parent Title (English):International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Year of Publication:2025
Volume:38
First Page:215
Last Page:240
Publisher:Springer
Faculties an central facilities:Zentrale Einrichtungen
Date of first Publication:2024/02/07
Publishing Institution:Technische Hochschule Wildau
Tag:Russia; competitive authoritarianism; competitiveness; contestation; election; fairness; regional politics
Source:Eichhorn, K., Linhart, E. Patterns of Competitiveness in Russian Gubernatorial Elections. Int J Polit Cult Soc 38, 215–240 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10767-024-09466-5
Dewey Decimal Classification:3 Sozialwissenschaften / 32 Politikwissenschaft / 321 Staatsformen und Regierungssysteme
3 Sozialwissenschaften / 32 Politikwissenschaft / 324 Der politische Prozess
9 Geschichte und Geografie / 94 Geschichte Europas / 947 Geschichte Osteuropas; Russlands
Funding:Projekt DEAL
Licence (German):Creative Commons - CC BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International
Release Date:2025/05/21
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