Determinants of Electoral Fraud in Russia

Fair and free elections are commonly recognized as an important institution of a democratic society as they provide political accountability and grant legitimacy for politicians in power. However, the latest adoptions of elections worldwide did not automatically result in a better democracy, and in many cases, elections were fraudulent. To address the problem of rigged elections, one has to look closely at the empirical evidence from actual elections and then analyze the conditions and circumstances under which the electoral fraud grows or declines. The project develops a theoretical framework incorporating all actors and stakeholders in the electoral process defining the motivations and potential mechanisms of electoral fraud. By this means, we identify the main potential determinants of the fraud: the absence of free press, influence of governmental authorities, civil participation in elections, and local quality of law-enforcement. Our research takes advantage of widespread electoral fraud in federal elections in Russia. Based on previous advancements in the econometric methodology of estimating electoral fraud, we construct a measure of regional electoral fraud to test our theoretical predictions about potential determinants. Our research is a first econometric study of determinants of electoral fraud in a modern non-democratic society.

contact person: Nikita Zakharov, M.A.
Phone: 0761 203-2350
Email: nikita.zakharov@vwl.uni-freiburg.de

Start of project: 01.11.2014
End of project: 01.09.2015

Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
Schulze G, Zakharov N
Abteilung für Internationale Wirtschaftspolitik
am Institut für Allgemeine Wirtschaftsforschung
Platz der Alten Synagoge
79085 Freiburg i. Br.
Germany

Phone: 0761-203 2342
Fax: 0761-203 2414
Email: judith.mueller@vwl.uni-freiburg.de
http://www.vwl.uni-freiburg.de/iwipol/sopo.htm
Actual Research Report

• Schulze G
• Zakharov N

electoral fraud, Russia