ABSTRACT
So far a perspective ‘from above’ has elucidated the problem of regimelegitimacy. Here the question is if trust in institutions at the mass level differs from the elite’s attitudes. Because the change of regime in Russia was elitedriven, the new institutions may be expected to enjoy more support among the elite than among the masses. One argument is that, while the elite will be attracted by the ‘intrinsic value’ of institutions, the masses evaluate institutions more in terms of their output. For the elite, on the other hand, institutions also provide personal opportunities for careers and benefits not very closely related to the value of the institution itself.
