Putin and the parliamentary elections in Russia: the confluence of Russian political culture and leadership

In its general form, an authoritarian policy can be defined as a system in which the government or the state, dominated by an elite, focuses on the maintenance of order and security, usually at the expense of at least some individual freedoms. Kernen points out that Pres Vladimir Putin's leadership and personality is a reflection of Russian political culture, which is less conducive to liberal democratic development and to some form of autocracy. The long-term trend in post-Soviet Russian electoral behavior is examined.