Russian authoritarianism two years after communism

A 1993 survey of Moscow adults explored the ongoing relevance of the authoritarian personality in Russia following the collapse of communism. Authoritarianism correlated positively with pro-communist beliefs and negatively with support for capitalist and democratic reforms, but these relationships were weaker than in 1989 and 1991. Among those low in communist beliefs only, authoritarianism predicted increased religious faith. Russian, like American, authoritarianism predicted negative attitudes toward people with AIDS and environmentalists. However Russian authoritarianism, opposite to American authoritarianism, provokes blaming society rather than the individual for homelessness and poverty. These results appear compatible with both authoritarianism theory and differing American-Russian conventional norms.