When Do Elites Compete? The Determinants of Political Competition in Russian Regions

Abstract

What factors explain whether a postcommunist system evolves into a politically competitive regime? Of the twenty-eight states, some surviving and others newly emerging after the collapse of the Communism in eastern Europe, only eight are considered liberal democracies by the Freedom House; the rest are classified as dic tatorships or unconsolidated transitional regimes.' As a consequence, theoretical debates about transitions to democracy in the region have been overtaken by the real ity that nondemocratic regimes have been the predominant replacement models for former Communist systems. It thus becomes all the more important to understand the factors that have contributed to the rise of competitive and noncompetitive poli ties in postcommunist systems. Political competition is a crucial feature of a democratic political system. Minimalist conceptions of democracy, particularly Schumpeter's classical view, treat competitive elections as the defining element of democratic governance.2 Postcommunist transformations can contribute to democratic theory by providing an unparalleled opportunity to reconsider the link between contestation and democracy. Various cases throughout the postcommunist region (Russia and Ukraine, for exam ple) suggest that political contestation, defined as the presence of meaningful inter elite struggle for power, is not sufficient to produce a sustainable democracy, even when the transfer of power occurs through the institution of elections.3 Even when disassociated from democratic theory, political competition remains an important issue to be addressed. Given extreme levels of elite corruption and an absence of the rule of law, unhindered political competition can undermine democra tic institutions, such as elections, which come to be viewed as mechanisms of elite in-fighting rather than means of projecting popular will. In either case, whether as a defining feature of democracy or an element that can discredit democratic institu tions under certain conditions, political competitiveness is a consequential element of any political system. This article analyzes political competitiveness in the eighty-nine regions of Russia. Theoretically derived hypotheses as well as interpretations offered by observers of Russian politics are tested in an attempt to identify factors that explain the emergence of politically contested regional regimes. The subnational focus