THE RUSSIAN 1996 PRESIDENTIAL-ELECTION - REFERENDUM ON DEMOCRACY OR APERSONALITY CONTEST

Assessments of the 1996 Russian presidential election have produced a cacophony of theories concerning the factors that led to Boris Yeltsin 's victory over his second-round opponent, Gennaddii Zyuganov. As scho lars have attempted to put the development of Russian elections into p erspective, many have used this election as a means of unearthing the factors that may prove vital for the sustenance of democracy. Examinin g survey data collected in Russia during the spring of 1997 and compar ing it with other pre- and post-election data, we find that the electi on can be understood as reflecting short term performance, candidate i mages and economic orientations rather than a profound referendum on t he type of political system preferred by the Russian people. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.