Disparity of "large" and "small" cities of Russia: A comparative analysis of indicators of economic development and social survey data

In the study, the population of the Russian cities is conditionally divided by population size into two samples: "large" and "small" cities, and a comparative analysis of these groups is carried out. The main hypothesis of the study is associated with the intuitive assumption that disparity appears not only in objective indicators of socio-economic development, but also in subjective assessments of social conditions by residents of these groups of cities. "Compensation" of this disparity requires not only an effective local strategies in "small" cities, but also effective public policy measures, the rationale of which should be based on the provisions of economic theory and on the results of empirical research. The initial data of the study were the data of the statistical portal "Multi-Stat" and the data of the 4th and 8th rounds of the European Social Survey (ESS4 and ESS8) for Russia. Analysis of the polls revealed the differences and regional variations of subjective evaluations and human value orientations of the population, as well as statistically significant differences in the attitudes of residents of "small" and "large" cities to the role of the state in solving problems of social inequality and social protection. The population of "small" cities in Russia more actively supports the concept of the "welfare state".