Party system of modern Russia: institutional frames and public legitimization

Abstract

The paper analyses evolution of the party system in Russia in the context of transforming politic regime. I show that institutional frames of party system were initionally determined by the state power and had been changed insensibly in every electoral circle, which led to highly fragmented and nonstable political landscape, where parties are not significant political actors. The parties don’t transform state policy but play important role of legitimization of political regime. The tendency of the atrophy of parliamentary opposition is also analyzed and it is shown how it provokes movements and initiatives of emerging non-system opposition. I prove that party-phobia of Russian citizens apparent in low level of political participation and of trust to the parties in public opinion follows from the weakness of political parties as political institutions and of its decorative character.