Ralph S. Clem

The Geography of the Russian 1995 Parliamentary Election: Continuity, Change, and Correlates

Two specialists on the electoral geography of post-Soviet Russia analyze the spatial patterns emerging from the parliamentary election held in December 1995. In addition to detailed description of the geographical aspect of the party-preference vote, comparisons are made with the previous election in December 1993. Regression analysis is undertaken to relate the results across Russias 89 regions to underlying demographic and economic factors thought to influence voting behavior. 13 figures, 6 tables, 28 references.

Regional Patterns of Political Preference in Russia: The December 1999 Duma Elections

Two specialists on the electoral geography of post-Soviet Russia analyze the spatial voting patterns of the December 1999 national parliamentary election (national party-list vote) in that country. Among the issues investigated are spatial variations in voter turnout, the geographic concentration/dispersion of voter support by party, and correlations between that support and selected demographic and socioeconomic variables. Particular attention is focused on the extent to which voting patterns mirrored those of previous electoral contests and were affected by the appearance of such new electoral coalitions as Fatherland–All Russia, Unity, and the Union of Right Forces. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: H10, O50, Z10. 13 figures, 5 tables, 27 references.

Urban-Rural Voting Differences in Russian Elections, 1995-1996: A Rayon-Level Analysis

Two specialists on the electoral geography of post-Soviet Russia examine the results of the second national 1995 parliamentary election and the June and July 1996 presidential elections in the Russian Federation. The scale of analysis is the rayon level, based on a data set of roughly 300 rayons drawn from nine representative oblasts across the country. The data permit urban-rural and regional patterns in electoral behavior to be elucidated with greater precision. Although urban and rural effects are pronounced, the analysis reveals the importance of many other local contextual factors less amenable to quantification. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers H10, O10, R1O. 1 figure, 7 tables, 24 references.

Shades of Orange: The Electoral Geography of Ukraine's 2004 Presidential Elections

Two American geographers and noted specialists on the electoral geography of post-Soviet Russia and Ukraine describe and analyze the three rounds of Ukraines pivotal and highly contested presidential elections in late 2004. In an effort to shed light on the underlying demographic and socio-economic correlates of the vote (e.g., age, income, urban/rural residence, language/ethnicity), the authors pay special attention to changes among the rounds, providing background to widespread allegations of electoral fraud in round two (first runoff). Finally, they summarize results of bivariate and multivariate regression analyses that reveal which among the various correlates contribute most to explaining differences in the vote. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: H10, O18, R10. 6 figures, 5 tables, 26 references.

Redrawing the Political Map of Russia: The Duma Election of December 2003

Two experts on the electoral geography of post-Soviet Russia examine the disruption of the relatively stable pattern of political choice evident in the returns from the December 2003 elections to the Russian Duma. The paper documents major shifts, relative to three previous Duma elections, in turnout and the percentage share of vote among major parties and broad party groupings (liberal/reform, nationalist, KPRF/Agrarian, and centrist). Prominent among the latter are the resurgence of nationalist parties, the losses suffered by the communists, the virtual elimination of the reform parties from the national legislative scene, and the consolidation of power by the favorite party of the Kremlin. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: H10, O10, R10. 9 figures, 2 tables, 21 references.

Orange, Blue and White, and Blonde: The Electoral Geography of Ukraine's 2006 and 2007 Rada Elections

Two American geographers specializing in the electoral geography of post-Soviet Russia and Ukraine examine the results of the two successive elections to Ukraines national parliament, in 2006 and 2007. Their primary focus is on identifying spatial differences in voter preferences and turnout across Ukraine, and on exploring the associations between these and the historical background and social and economic conditions within Ukrainian regions. The revealed general relationships between geographic setting and voting outcomes, when applied to the study of shifts in voter turnout and party preference across regions over time, yield insights into voting patterns that may be manifest in Ukraines next presidential election in 2010. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: H10, O18, R10. 7 figures, 6 tables, 42 references.

Russia's Electoral Geography: A Review

A noted specialist on the electoral geography of Russia reviews the existing body of work on the subject based on national elections, beginning with the RSFSR returns from the March 1989 voting for seats in the the USSR Congress of Peoples Deputies and extending to the presidential race of 2004. The author identifies major themes and methodologies relevant to a discussion of the political topography of Russia, before assessing the extent to which the countrys emergent electoral landscape has been described. He emphasizes the importance of scale in interpreting the spatial patterns of electoral outcomes, as well as the social and economic correlates of voting across the regions. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: H10, O10, R10. 4 figures, 84 references.

Dynamics of the Ukrainian state-territory nexus

This paper addresses questions concerning the territorial sovereignty of present day Ukraine in light of established concepts in political geography, international relations, and international law. A template is derived from that literature to examine the particulars of the Ukrainian state extant insofar as its origins are concerned, especially as they relate to issues of the state and territory. An argument is made for the legitimacy of Ukraine as a bona fide entrant into the international system of states and, accordingly, its rights to territorial integrity. Finally, the challenges confronting Ukraine owing to its Soviet geographical heritage and ethnographic landscape are discussed, especially in light of its neighboring regional hegemon, Russia.

Spatial Patterns of Political Choice in the Post-Yeltsin Era: The Electoral Geography of Russia's 2000 Presidential Election

Two specialists on the electoral geography of post-Soviet Russia analyze spatial voting patterns from the March 2000 Russian presidential election by reference to the underlying socioeconomic traits of Russias regions. In an effort to gauge the extent to which regional variations in voter turnout and preferences evident from previous elections persisted into the presidential election, the authors compare the outcome with results of a previous presidential contest (1996) and, where relevant, to the 1999 elections to the State Duma. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: H10, O50, Z10. 7 figures, 5 tables, 21 references.

Panel on Social Dimensions of Interdependence in the States of the Former USSR

A panel of geographers and social scientists discusses a broad range of social issues related to the integration and disintegration of the former Soviet Union. Among the factors affecting and affected by the altered character of social interaction in the former USSR and addressed in the panel are patterns of geographic settlement, labor force patterns, ethnoterritoriality, and return migration of Russians to Russia. The presentations focus on Central Asian and Russian ethnic groups in order to illustrate the consequences of interregional migration on both indigenous and nonindigenous peoples. 8 tables, 2 maps, 1 graph, 17 references.