ABSTRACT
Politics in the RFE, as in the rest of Russia, remains predominantly the politics of individual politicians and not of political institutions such as parties or interest groups. In Russia’s regions, the single most powerful political figure has been the governor. Governors are elected for a four-year term. In addition, each oblast, krai, republic, and autonomous area has a legislative body, a court system, and local governments. However, the governor usually exercises a significant amount of power compared to these other organs of power.
