ABSTRACT
Superpresidentialism is a form of democratic, or partially democratic, regime. In the postcommunist region at the onset of the 2000s, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia represent clear cases of superpresidentialism. The emergence of a superpresidential regime in Russia resulted from a confluence of several circumstances. Conditions in Russian domestic politics that favored the establishment of a superpresidential regime were reinforced, or at least not countered, by external influences. In addition to damaging the legitimacy of the regime and undermining the accountability of the rulers to the ruled, superpresidentialism checks the growth and development of political-societal organizations. The way in which superpresidentialism in Russia has actively degraded political development is by reducing the legitmacy of the democratic regime itself. Support for an overweening presidency was bolstered by mass popular perceptions that Russia needed a "decisive" executive to guard the country's great power status and to match wits with the leaders of other great powers, especially the United States.
