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Americans, Russians Assess Democracy
- Adults in the United States and Russia hold differing views on their political systems, according to a poll by Knowledge Networks and the Yury Levada Analytical Center for the Program on International Policy Attitudes. 91 per cent of respondents in the U.S. think democracy is the best form of government, but just 52 per cent of Russians concur.
In American presidential elections, candidates require 270 votes in the U.S. Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Republican incumbent George W. Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states.
Vladimir Putin was elected to a second term as Russia's president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In December 2004, Putin signed a controversial bill that effectively eliminates the election of Russia's 89 governors by popular vote. The provision allows the president himself to nominate every governor, and await confirmation by regional legislatures.
Russia will host the 2006 G-8 summit in Saint Petersburg from Jul. 15 to Jul. 17. The government has said the meeting's agenda would focus on energy policy, education, fighting disease and the war on terrorism.
Yesterday, U.S. national security adviser Stephen Hadley discussed the state of democracy in Russia, saying, "What we would like to see is a greater effort by Russians—they're going to have to decide to (...) build the institutions that we all understand to be characteristic of a stable democracy. They are things such as a free and independent judiciary, an independent legislature, modern democratic political parties, a free press, a vibrant civil society. This is the pattern of institutions that provide checks and balances on the center."
Polling Data
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Democracy is the best form of government.
U.S. | Russia | |
Strongly agree | 57% | 15% |
Somewhat agree | 34% | 37% |
Somewhat disagree | 5% | 23% |
Strongly disagree | 2% | 11% |
Don't know | 3% | 15% |
Source: Knowledge Networks / Yury Levada Analytical Center / Program on International Policy Attitudes
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,059 American adults, conducted from Jun. 27 to Jul. 2, 2006. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent. Telephone interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted from Jun. 9 to Jun. 14, 2006. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.
