Warum unterstützt die Bevölkerung ein autoritäres Regime? Neuere politikwissenschaftliche Forschungen über die Popularität Wladimir Putins

Many contemporary authoritarian regimes sustain their power through the popularity of their leader rather than repression. This phenomenon has only recently garnered attention in comparative authoritarianism research and is best researched in the case of Russia. This paper explores various explanations for Vladimir Putin’s popularity and the support for his regime, drawing on neo-institutionalist, legitimational, socio-psychological, and socio-structural perspectives. It concludes by outlining some of the key challenges for this field of research since Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.