SSRC Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Ora John Reuter

Elite Mobility and Authoritarian Institutions in Post-Soviet Russia

Current Position: Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Discipline: Political Science

Project Description:

I am collecting data on the career trajectories of Russian regional elites in the 2000s in order to examine a series of questions about how nominally democratic institutions—legislatures, elections, and parties—function in a modern authoritarian regime. This Database of Russian Regional Elites includes original, comprehensive data on the biographies and career trajectories of Russian governors, vice governors, regional legislators, mayors, party officials, State Duma Deputies, Federation Council Senators, and federal bureaucrats in the regions from 2000-2011. The data will help answer questions about how authoritarian institutions operate and the conditions under which they fortify authoritarian rule.

Bio:

Ora John Reuter’s research interests include authoritarian regimes, political parties, elections, democratization, and comparative political economy. He is currently working on a book about ruling parties in authoritarian regimes.