Sarah E. Mendelson

Soviet Nostalgia: An Impediment to Russian Democratization

Original survey research conducted by the authors, revealing that 16–29‐year‐old Russians are uneducated about democracy, ambivalent about Stalin, and confused about Russias place in the world, suggests that Western democracy assistance should be reoriented from promoting institutions to the ideas that underpin them.

Failing the Stalin Test: Russians and Their Dictator

that most Germans under 30 today viewed Hitler with ambivalence and that a majority thought he had done more good than bad. Imagine that about 20 percent said they would vote for him if he ran for president tomorrow. Now try to envision the horrified international response that would follow. Of course, most contemporary Germans revile Hitler. But ask young Russians about Stalin, and you get answers very similar to those above. Since 2003, we have conducted three surveys in Russia, and according to these polls, there is no stigma associated with Stalin in the country today. In fact, many Russians hold ambivalent or even positive views of him. For example, onequarter or more of Russian adults say they would definitely or probably vote for Stalin were he alive and running for president, and less than 40 percent say they definitely would not. A majority of young Russians, moreover, do not view Stalin—a man responsible for millions of deaths and enormous suaering—with the revulsion he deserves. Although Stalinism per se is not rampant in Russia today, misperceptions about the Stalin era are. Few of the respondents to our surveys could be classified as hard-core Stalinists, but fewer still are hard-core anti-Stalinists. Most Russians, in other words, flunk the Stalin test. And yet, whereas similar findings about Hitler in Germany would no doubt provoke international alarm, American and European political leaders have failed to respond to this trend in Russia—and it is doubtful that they will anytime soon. Western policymakers prefer to ignore unpleasant news about the weakness of democracy in Russia, and this preference is unlikely to change before the next meeting of the g-8, the group of the world’s leading industrialized nations, which is to be held in St. Petersburg in July. With U.S. troops bogged down

Russian Public Opinion on Human Rights and the War in Chechnya

Two specialists on Russian society and politics analyze how Russians view human rights and the conflict in Chechnya, as well as factors shaping views on these issues within Russia, based on a survey conducted in October 2001. The authors discuss how their results diverge from the findings of other studies of Russian public opinion on issues relating to democracy, consider several explanations for the patterns they observe, and propose some appropriate policy measures.

Activist Culture and Transnational Diffusion: Social Marketing and Human Rights Groups in Russia

Research on transnational activism has identified conditions under which advocacy strategies and tactics are likely to diffuse across borders. Two experts on Russian society emphasize a variable that has not received sufficient attention: the predominant culture of local activists. They draw on results from a project undertaken from spring 2002 to summer 2004 designed to introduce social marketing, a strategic communications technique, to human rights activists in Russia. In addition to expanding the theoretical understanding of transnational advocacy, this study suggests that more research is needed on the decision-making processes of activists and, specifically, the organizational cultures shaping choices and decisions.

Security Through Sociology: The North Caucasus and the Global Counterinsurgency Paradigm

The global counterinsurgency strategy to combat terrorism emphasizes responding to the social and economic needs of communities where terrorists may find support. Public opinion data can help in that strategy, as shown by a 2006 survey of 1,200 young males from three provinces in Russias North Caucasus. Conventional wisdom notwithstanding, the survey shows few signs of burgeoning radical Islam or ethnic animosity. Instead, economic conditions and poor governance are primary concerns. The region provides both an opportunity and threat: policymakers can and should address the regions needs; if not, radical Islamist groups can turn it into a flashpoint for terrorism.

Unfinished Business:Democracy Assistance and Political Transition in Eastern Europe and Eurasia

Assistance can make a difference if strategies are derived from local ingredients rather than a global cookbook. But even with good strategies, funding, and staffs, constraints remain.

Crisis Among Crises Among Crises : Public and Professional Views of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Russia

Russians consider HIV/AIDS only part of their countrys health-care crisis.

The Putin Path: Civil Liberties and Human Rights in Retreat

Opposition and advocacy groups in Russia now face their greatest challenge since the Soviet period. Vladimir Putin’s ascent to the presidency is not the sole cause of a political environment increasingly hostile to civil liberties and human rights. The fact is that many Russians share his politics.