Konsolidering av demokratin i en postkommunistisk stad - fallet St Petersburg
St PetersburgDemocratic ConsolidationPost-Communist StudiesUrban PoliticsPolitical BehaviourPolitical and administrative sciencesStatsvetenskapFörvaltningskunskapLaw and Political Science
The aim of this essay is to examine whether democracy in St Petersburg isconsolidated or not. Since studies of democratic transition have been rarelyconducted on post-communist cities, this study seems fruitful. Using the Linz andStepan theory, where democracy is considered consolidated when it has become?the only game in town? and Orttung's three criteria legitimacy, politicalpolarisation and policy effectiveness; this essay analyzes people's attitudes,political behaviour, the rule of law and civil society in St Petersburg. Theory isused to interpret the material mainly consisting of two interviews and newspaperarticles. The results show that the political behaviour is counteracting democraticconsolidation and the rule of law. People's lack of faith in democratic institutionsis undermining legitimacy. Civil society have got problems with autonomy,finance and citizen indifference, but many NGOs and a part of mass media seemto be able to define and forward their interests in a manner that influences citypolitics.