POPULAR SUPPORT FOR COMPETITIVE ELECTIONS IN THE SOVIET-UNION

Meaningful electoral competition was introduced into the Soviet Union beginning with the all-union elections of March 1989. Based on a surve y representative of the Moscow oblast and a survey representative of d ie European USSR conducted in the spring of 1990, mass support for the institution of competitive elections is analyzed. Using the moderniza tion approach to explaining regime liberalization, the author investig ate the levels of this support, the extent to which it is diffuse vers us instrumental, and analyzes relationships between support for compet itive elections and key demographic and attitudinal indicators. Suppor t for elections at the time of the survey was high, with a substantial diffuse component. In addition, those most enthusiastic about elector al competition am groups whose support is generally thought to be cruc ial for successful transitions from authoritarian rule.