Explanatory Factors for Electoral Turnout in the Russian Federation: The Regional Dimension

This study examines regional level turnout in national and regional elections in Russia over the period 2011-13. Our study demonstrates that in order to gain a deeper understanding of turnout in electoral authoritarian regimes, such as Russia, it is essential to combine and test the explanatory powers of the “resource” and “mobilization” models. We also take into account the level of electoral competitiveness which, in turn, depends on the type of regional political regime (competitive authoritarian or hegemonic). The following key questions are addressed in the study. To what extent does distributive politics influence turnout? What kind of social networks are the most effective for electoral mobilization? To what degree does turnout depend on the mobilization capabilities of political machines?