№ 2 - 2000
A Round Table, Lapkin V.V., Pantin V.I., Solovyov A.I., Ilyin M.V., Meleshkina Ye.Yu., Novinskaya M.I., Avdonin V.S., Yargomskaya N.B., Akhremenko A.S., Malakanova O.A., Kuz’min A.S., Baranov S.D., Kovalev V.A., Diligensky G.G., Petrov N.V.
Structure and Dynamics of Russia’s Multidimensional Electoral Space

Lapkin V.V. Possibilities of Quantitative Description of Electoral Dynamics. Pantin V.I. Theoretical Description: Problems and Approaches. Solov’yov A.I. The Concept and the Communicative Method. Il’yin M.V. The Modelling. Meleshkina Ye.Yu. Factors of Structuring. Novinskaya M.I. A Remark on Structure. Avdonin V.S. Transformations of the Current Electoral Cycle. Yargomskaya N.B. Electoral System. Akhremenko A.S. Comparative Approach. Malakanova O.A. Political Communication. Kuz’min A.S. The Socio-Cultural Factor. Baranov S.D. Expectational Structure. Koval’ov V.A. Elections as Elite Securing. Diligensky J.J. On Political Market and Rational Choice under Russia’s Conditions. Petrov N.V. Electoral Landscape: from the Viewpoints of Geography and of Political Science.Although some political technologists and commentators have said their say to the effect that the results of the election campaigns of Russia’s new electoral cycle of 1999-2000 (or, at least, of the December elections) are explainable and were predictable, such opinions are, however, mostly based on intuition and fragmentary and time-serving analytical calculations. Absence of serious scientific basis for making conclusions on such matters is indicative of the urgent need to theoretically and empirically investigate the problems of structuration of multidimensional electoral space and of its specificity in Russia in order to find out long-term and short-term factors of its formation and dynamics. To offer some theoretical approaches to the study of the problem and of the phenomenon itself, two journals: the «Vestnik MGU» (Moscow University Bulletin) («Political Scienses» series) and the «Polis» organized this (mainly extra-mural) round table. Among its participants there are scholars from Ryazan, Syktyvkar, Samara, St.Petersburg; Moscow is represented by colleagues from the Moscow University and a number of institutes of the Academy of sciences: Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences, Institute of Comparative Political Science, Institute of Geography. In the materials of the Round Table, problems are raised that have essential significance for the study of «multidimensional electoral space» - as a notion and as a phenomenon, including their specific interpretation as applied to Russia. Different theoretical approaches are presented, so far as comprehension of the term itself, and the structure, of multidimensional electoral space are concerned; different ways and methods of their operationalization are proposed. The idea is advanced, to combine different methodological approaches: systemic, communicative, informational and behavioural ones. In the discussion, great attention is paid to different factors structuring the multidimensional electoral space, and to their contradictory mutual influence and interaction. Attempts have been made, with the help of suggested conceptual models, to describe and to prognosticate Russia’s overall electoral dynamics as well as certain components thereof. Striving for theoretical substantiation of the specificity of modern Russian electoral process is characteristic of all the participants’ contributions.