Vladmir Putin's recent election as Russia's president was the culmination of over a decade of competitive elections and attempts at democratic reform. In fact, voting in Russia has become the only legitimate means for gaining a position of political leadership in the government, or for the transfer of power from one set of leaders to another. This important development is traced from Russia's early electoral heritage to the present with examinations of executive, legislative, and local elections. Multiple tables and figures show electoral results and party support.
Christopher Marsh (né Surosky) serves as director of the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies, as well as director of the Keston Center for Religion, Politics, & Society at Baylor University. Dr. Marsh is also Professor of Political Science and Church-State Studies at Baylor and teaches in the area of religion, politics, and society, with a geographical focus on Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and East Asia. His research and teaching interests range from religion and violence to church-state relations and religious freedom in communist and post-communist societies. Professor Marsh speaks Russian and Chinese and has conducted field research across Eurasia, from the Gulf of Finland to the Russian Far East and to foothills of the Himalayas.
In addition to authoring and editing numerous books, Dr. Marsh serves as editor of the Journal of Church & State, as co-editor of Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization, and sits on the board of several other journals, including Religion, State, & Society. He also works closely with the Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs at Boston University and the Institute for Buddhism and Religious Studies at Renmin University of China, where he is a research professor.
