Russian Election Study, 1995-1996

This data collection provides information on the voting patterns of Russian citizens and their attitudes toward the electoral process, political parties, and individual politicians. Three panel surveys were completed through face-to-face interviews before and after the December 1995 parliamentary election and on the heels of the June 1996 presidential election. The surveys covered the following attitudinal and behavioral areas: (1) interest in politics, (2) exposure to campaign materials, (3) partisanship (both "feeling thermometers" and knowledge of party positions), (4) electoral choice, (5) opinion on the transition and its elements (privatization, economic liberalization, social safety net reform, political competition, freedom of speech and thought), (6) foreign policy views, and (7) views on democracy, government, and morality. Demographic information includes sex, age, marital status, family size, size of birth place and of current area of residence, education, nationality, linguistic group, religious affiliation and practice, occupation, detailed employment history, and individual and family income and expenses.