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Doubts about building a stable democracy in Russia are usually associated with the peculiarities of both the country's history and the Russian people's mentality. However, rather than being exclusively defined by a series of tyrants, Russian history is also marked by impressive attempts at democracy building. The long-standing battle continues to rage between those who advocate that Russia should be developed as a European country and those who adhere to the idea of Russia finding its own peculiar way, defined by autocracy. Indeed, we are witnessing a dramatic escalation of this battle. The specific features of the Russian nation have never been an obstacle to the proper operation of democratic institutions. In addition to sharing democratic values and being ready to implement them in real life, the younger generation of Russian citizens is also able to fight for them as they are now entering the political arena. What precludes democracy in Russia is not its history or the psyche of its citizens but its archaic and incompetent state. Russian society is thus now ready for democracy.

Doubts about building a stable democracy in Russia are usually associated with the peculiarities of both the country's history and the Russian people's mentality. However, rather than being exclusively defined by a series of tyrants, Russian history is also marked by impressive attempts at democracy building. The long-standing battle continues to rage between those who advocate that Russia should be developed as a European country and those who adhere to the idea of Russia finding its own peculiar way, defined by autocracy. Indeed, we are witnessing a dramatic escalation of this battle. The specific features of the Russian nation have never been an obstacle to the proper operation of democratic institutions. In addition to sharing democratic values and being ready to implement them in real life, the younger generation of Russian citizens is also able to fight for them as they are now entering the political arena. What precludes democracy in Russia is not its history or the psyche of its citizens but its archaic and incompetent state. Russian society is thus now ready for democracy.

Die Wahlkampagne und die Arbeit des Kongresses der Volksdeputierten der UdSSR liefern den Soziologen interessante Informationen darüber, wie soziales Handeln, das aus dem veränderten gesellschaftlichen Bewußtsein abgeleitet wird, zur Veränderung der Herschaftsverhältnisse beiträgt. Die Öffentlichkeit beteiligt sich direkt an der Demokratisierung der Gesellschaft und am politischen Kritikprozeß. Dies dokumentieren eindrucksvoll die politischen Wahlen, deren Ergebnisse Erwartungshaltungen, Interessenlagen und politischen Bewußtseinsstand der Wähler zum Ausdruck bringen. Man erkennt gegenwärtig drei Formen der Realisierung der demokratischen Herrschaftsordnung im politischen Willensbildungsprozeß: die nationale Wiedergeburt, die sowjetische Demokratie im Sinne Lenins und der Populismus, der sich nach der Massenpsychologie richtet. (BIOst-Ldg)