Journal article
Conceptions of Democracy Among Mass and Elite in Post-Soviet Societies
British journal of political science, Vol.27(2), pp.631-633
04/1997
DOI: 10.1017/S0007123497000100
Abstract
What do citizens and political leaders have in mind when they think about democracy? This article deals with the relationship between different conceptions of democracy and the level of support for democracy among both ordinary citizens and political elites in two post-Soviet countries, Russia and Ukraine.
Data collected through personal interviews in 1992 and 1995 reveal that the mass and elite in these post-socialist countries hold different conceptions of democracy. The elite tend to emphasize law and order and the rule of law, whereas the citizens stress freedoms in their understanding of democracy. Involvement in politics, especially in a political party, has a significant influence on the meaning of democracy as well as on the consistency among attitudes reflecting support for democratic principles. Different conceptions of democracy are also found to affect the perceived extent to which the current regime fits with the individual's idea of what a democracy should be like.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Conceptions of Democracy Among Mass and Elite in Post-Soviet Societies
- Creators
- Arthur H. MillerVicki L. Hesli - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- British journal of political science, Vol.27(2), pp.631-633
- DOI
- 10.1017/S0007123497000100
- ISSN
- 0007-1234
- eISSN
- 1469-2112
- Copyright
- Copyright © 1997 Cambridge University Press. Used by permission. http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=JPS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/1997
- Academic Unit
- Political Science
- Record Identifier
- 9983557318302771
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