A collaborative study of the way in which Russia's 'authoritarian elections' have increasingly become a means by which the central authorities can exercise control than a means by which ordinary citizens can impose their own priorities. This book was origianlly published as a special issue of Europe Asia-Studies.

Elections are the central mechanism by which citizens can seek to hold their government to account. This collection shows the ways in which that mechanism can be manipulated from above such it becomes more of an extension of central authority than a means by which the public at large can impose their own priorities.