“Conventional” political participation in Russia: prevalence and social structuring

The article examines the political activity of Russian citizens in conventional — legal and legitimate — forms, its prevalence in comparison with other post-communist countries and Western European democracies as well as the social structuring of such activity. Research points to the passivity of civil society in Russia, which is assumed to be due to the communist political culture and the actions of the authorities aimed at controlling and restricting mass political activity. The data from the European Social Survey (ESS) on the eight main conventional forms of political activity, obtained in 2006–2018 surveys in post-communist countries — Russia, Hungary and Poland, as well as in Western European democracies, including Germany, France and Sweden, were considered. The results confirm that in Russian society, as in other post-communist countries, a small minority participates in politics, whereas in Western democracies political activism encompasses much broader social circles. There are distinct social inequalities in political participation in our country. It is closely related to social demography (it increases with higher education and decreases with age), increases under favorable conditions of mobilization (connections with other people and organizations) and political predisposition (interest in politics, internal political efficacy, party identification). The revealed facts reinforce considerations about the political passivity of Russian citizens, reflecting cultural beliefs rooted in the Soviet era.