NEWSWATCH: “Russian Public Assessments of the Putin Policy Program: Achievements and Challenges” – John P. Willerton/Russian Politics
A decade and a half into the Putin team’s tenure, what are Russians’ policy concerns, and how do they accord with Putin team priorities and actions? What is the level of public support for Putin and his team, and how do Russians assess the Putin team’s policy record to date?
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… survey results reveal that Putin and his team are judged by the mainstream Russian public to have strengthened the state and … the modernization of Russian society, and the population appreciates that the country is led by a strong leader. However, with these developments has returned the eternal problem of the over 1000-year Russian civilization: excessive dependence on one leader, the absence of institutional arrangements facilitating the easy departure of that leader, and power realities that could threaten the predictable and stable formation of a successor regime. Neither opposition parties and social movements, nor the governing team-United Russia cohort, offer a coherent solution that resonates with mainstream Russians.[ ] The Russian public’s mixed assessments of Putin, the governing team, and their policy performance, only add to this highly problematic dilemma. Comparing this 21st century Putin era reality to the past, one can only conclude, ‘Plus ça change, plus c’est la meme chose.’