ABSTRACT
The crucial role of elites in the process of change towards more democratic rule is unequivocally assumed by most political scientists. This has certainly been the case for successful democratizations throughout the entire world. But what about Russia, where the ‘transition to democracy’ after ten years of post-Communist rule casts some serious doubts? Although the configuration of Russia’s elites has been changed to a significant degree, the progress towards democracy is unclear. For the last few years, Freedom House has regularly considered Russia to be a partially free country. The question of my research is how these elite transformations have affected political development towards a more democratic rule in Russia.
