THE POLITICS OF RUSSIA REGIONS - A GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RUSSIAN ELECTION AND CONSTITUTIONAL PLEBISCITE OF DECEMBER 1993

Two specialists on the electoral geography of post-Soviet Russia analyze spatial patterns emerging from parliamentary elections and a constitutional plebiscite held in December 1993. In addition to spatial patterns in the election and plebiscite returns, reference will be made in the analysis to underlying socioeconomic factors believed to influence voters and to interregional variations in voter characteristics. The extent to which such factors and variations are associated with voter preference, party affiliation, and voter turnout is tested using standardized regression techniques. Implications of current patterns for important forthcoming elections are explored.