Toward a Typology of Russian Political Consciousness

The most diverse methods of investigation can be used in analyzing the political preferences of the Russian population. For example, one can regularly measure the approval ratings of various politicians and trace shifting trends through variations in these ratings. This method is quite simple and reliable if one exercises the necessary caution in interpreting the results. However, the effectiveness of such methods is ultimately limited: they are useful in comparing short-term forecasts of voting behavior and can provide indirect indicators of people's reactions to certain events, but they do not reveal what lies behind people's stated preferences—that is, the content that determines the choice.