The Democratic Deficit and Civic Disengagement in Eastern Europe

Abstract

Despite the introduction of comprehensive election laws and regular multi-candidate elections, survey evidence indicates that, paradoxically, citizens in developing regimes often feel less influential than they did previously. This is reflected in low levels of trust in political and state institutions; in declining levels of civic and political participation; and in growing apathy towards politics per se. The states of East-Central Europe, where the process of transition began in the late 1980s, have been no exception. The panel will examine the causes and effects of this growing democratic deficit and the consequences of such civic disengagement.

Title	Details
What is Party Politics in “Managing Democracy”? The Case of Russia [T]	View Paper Details
The "Positive Negatives": Civic Disengagement and the Vote ‘Against All’ in Postcommunist Russia	View Paper Details
A 'Demagogical Democracy' in Belarus and Ukraine: Some Preliminary Observations	View Paper Details
Title: TBA	View Paper Details
Dimensions of Disengagement in Postcommunist Russia	View Paper Details