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Redefining the Political System of the USSR: Mass Support for Political Change

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  • Finifter, Ada W.
  • Mickiewicz, Ellen

Abstract

Using data from a national public opinion survey carried out in the Soviet Union during November and December 1989, we explore two attitudes relevant to the revolutionary changes there: (1) attitudes toward change and political democracy and (2) attitudes toward a core component of socialist ideology, the locus of responsibility for social well-being (the state or individuals?). These variables are unrelated, with the sample relatively evenly divided among the intersecting cells of a cross tabulation. While social conflict may be mitigated by the small sizes of absolutely opposing groups, consensus may also be hard to reach. Ethnicity, education, income, age, party membership, and life satisfaction have important effects on these attitudes. We discuss how attitude patterns in our data may be related to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and to problems faced by the independent successor states as they develop new institutions and foster new values.

Suggested Citation

  • Finifter, Ada W. & Mickiewicz, Ellen, 1992. "Redefining the Political System of the USSR: Mass Support for Political Change," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 86(4), pages 857-874, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:86:y:1992:i:04:p:857-874_09
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    Cited by:

    1. Pauline Grosjean & Claudia Senik, 2008. "How populist democracy promotes market liberalization," Working Papers halshs-00586284, HAL.
    2. Bernd Hayo & Doh Shin, 2002. "Mass Attitudes Toward Financial Crisis and Economic Reform in Korea," Development and Comp Systems 0205003, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Stephanie Eble & Petya Koeva, 2002. "What Determines Individual Preferences over Reform? Microeconomic Evidence from Russia," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 49(Special i), pages 87-110.
    4. John S. Earle & Scott Gehlbach, 2003. "A Spoonful of Sugar: Privatization and Popular Support for Reform in the Czech Republic," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(1), pages 1-32, March.
    5. Finkel, Steve E. & Sabatini, Christopher A. & Bevis, Gwendolyn G., 2000. "Civic Education, Civil Society, and Political Mistrust in a Developing Democracy: The Case of the Dominican Republic," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(11), pages 1851-1874, November.
    6. Doh Shin, 1995. "The quality of mass support for democratization," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 239-253, July.
    7. Hayo, Bernd, 2004. "Public support for creating a market economy in Eastern Europe," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 720-744, December.
    8. Grosjean, Pauline & Senik, Claudia, 2007. "Should Market Liberalization Precede Democracy? Causal Relations between Political Preferences and Development," IZA Discussion Papers 2889, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Grosjean, Pauline & Senik, Claudia, 2008. "Why Populist Democracy Promotes Market Liberalization," IZA Discussion Papers 3527, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Ingrid Nielsen & Chris Nyland & Russell Smyth & Cherrie Jiuhua Zhu, 2005. "Perceptions of Subjective Economic Well-Being and Support for Market Reform among China's Urban Population," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(4), pages 425-447.
    11. Pauline Grosjean & Claudia Senik, 2007. "Should market liberalization precede democracy? Causal relations between political preferences and development," Working Papers halshs-00588060, HAL.
    12. Nachane, Dilip M., 2010. "Liberalization, globalization and the dynamics of democracy in India," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 38356, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    13. Pauline Grosjean & Claudia Senik, 2008. "How populist democracy promotes market liberalization," PSE Working Papers halshs-00586284, HAL.

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