Abstract
Using survey data from 800 rural households in Russia, this article examines and compares characteristics of the rural Communist supporter and the non-Communist supporter along economic and social dimensions. The analysis shows that significant differences do not exist between these two cohorts, suggesting that it will be difficult for Communist candidates to exploit the misery of the market in future elections. If the Communist Party, as the strongest opposition party, has weaknesses in its rural base of electoral support, the implication for the party system is that it is likely to remain weak, power will remain vested in the Kremlin, and parties will find it difficult to balance executive influence.
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