Registration is required for attendance.

Please join the Program on US-Russia Relations at the Harriman Institute for a lecture by Regina Smyth. Moderated by Elise Giuliano.

In Summer 2023 The Economist explored the rise of authoritarian state projects to build conservative core constituencies based on state values. In Russia, the Kremlin’s efforts to instill state values in the population began in response to social protest in 2011-2012 and continued throughout the next decade. Relying on unique survey data collected in the months prior to Russia’s war in Ukraine, this talk will address the debates over the Russian values project, the types of conservatism expressed by citizens, the congruence between values and state messaging, the ideological structure of Russian society, and finally, the causal links between values and political participation. The analysis underscores the importance of a plurality of core voters in authoritarian regimes to limit dissent and project regime support in the face of societal fragmentation.