Who Takes Care of the Residents? United Russia and the Regions Facing the Monetization of L’goty
Who Takes Care of the Residents? United Russia and the Regions Facing the Monetization of L’goty

Summary/Abstract: The political scene in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union experienced a dramatic change at the turn of the century. One of the major changes is the appearance of the ruling party, United Russia, whose presence is now expanding throughout Russia. Moreover, as demonstrated in the bill on the new gubernatorial appointment system – the majority party of the regional legislature recommends the candidates for governors – the existence of United Russia is considered to be a precondition in planning the Russian political system. Currently, most of the governors (sixty-nine governors out of seventy-six belong to United Russia as of April 2009) and incumbent elites from administrative and legislative organs at the regional and local levels belong to United Russia. As many observers have insisted, the governors seem to be struggling for an electoral campaign supporting United Russia in order to survive under the gubernatorial appointment system, inducing the regions to become organized into one unified political entity, which makes it difficult for them to resist the federal center.

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