MOSCOW, October 19, 2007 Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents information concerning what forms of participation in social and political life Russians prefer and also how they explain their participation or lack of it. The data was obtained within the framework of a survey carried out by VCIOM in September this year upon request of the Central Election Committee of the Russian Federation.
The main form of public and political activity for Russians is voting in the elections to jurisdictions of different levels (43% of respondents have participated in that). 15% of respondents took part in the collective improvement of house entrances and surrounding territories; 10% of respondents for each option have taken part in collecting funds or things for the people caught in a difficult situation in life; in conducting an election campaign; in the activity of trade-union organizations; 7% went to meetings, demonstrations or pickets. 4% of respondents for each option mentioned that they had to participate in the work of house committees, cooperatives, the local public selector; and also in the activity of public organizations; 1-3% each participated in the work of political parties; religious organizations; strikes, signing of public addresses and petitions. 39% of respondents identify that they have never taken part in anything of this kind.
One of the main motives for the respondents' participation in the social and political life is their desire to change life for the better in their city, village, in the country; and also interest, as 25-27% of respondents identify. 13-16% of respondents explain their participation by a wish to defend their own rights and interests; help people, who got caught in a difficult situation in life; 6-8% for each option do that out of solidarity with friends and acquaintances; because they could not refuse those, who asked them to do that; and in order to earn some extra money. It is interesting to note that the number of respondents who hoped, thus to make a career has strived for zero. The motivation of participation remained practically unchanged during the last two years.
The desire to change life for the better in the country and their own city or village is more distinctly expressed among respondents with low estimation of own financial standing, whereas those, who see themselves as possessing a high financial standing (29% and 23%), whereas it is just the opposite with the notion of earning additional money (4% and 15%).
The basic motive of why the respondents do not take an active part in social and political life is lack of interest in the topic (34%, in 2005 this reason was indicated more rarely - 24%). 21% of respondents refer to lack of time; 16% assume that only professionals should be dealing with politics, 13% think that their participation will not actually change anything, (during the last two years the number of such answers has reduced two times: from 26% to 13%). The assertion "I am not interested in it" is more characteristic of young people of 18-24 years of age than for the people of average and elder age (27-37%). Elder people (60+) however, are more likely to think that "their participation nothing will change", (cf.: 22% in the eldest group and 6% among the young people). Respondents of 45-59 years more frequently than others to delegate their right to participate in the public life to professional politicians (21%, in other age classes 12-17%).
The all-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on September 22-29, 2007. 3000 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 1.8%.
Have you personally participated in the social and political life? (Please mark all the events that you have taken part in) | |
Participating in the elections to jurisdictions of different levels | 43 |
Collective improvement of house entrances, houses, playgrounds and surrounding territories | 15 |
Participating in carrying out an election campaign (signatures collection, agitation, working at an election center) | 10 |
Participating in the activity of trade union organizations | 10 |
collecting funds or things for the people caught in a difficult situation in life (act of terrorism, natural disaster, in need of medical treatment, an operation) | 10 |
Participation in meetings, demonstrations, the pickets devoted to the life of the country, region, your populated area | 7 |
Participation in the activity of social organizations (human rights, charity, ecological, etc.) | 4 |
Work of house committees, cooperatives, local public selector. | 4 |
Signing of public addresses and petitions concerning the country's life, the life of the region or your populated area | 3 |
Participating in strikes | 2 |
Participating in the activity of political parties | 2 |
Participating in the activity of religious organizations | 1 |
Other | 1 |
No, I have never participated in anything of the kind | 39 |
Hard to say | 2 |
If you participate (used to participate) in the social and political life, who aspires you to it? (Up to two responses; in % of those who participates/ has participated in social and political life) | ||
| 2005 | 2007 |
I would like to change life for the better in my city, village, in the country | 25 | 27 |
It is interesting for me | 26 | 25 |
I would like to settle the problem which I am interested in, to defend my own rights and interests | 16 | 16 |
I would like to help people who got caught up in a difficult situation | 11 | 13 |
I did it for company, out of solidarity with my friends and acquaintances | 7 | 8 |
It is a way to earn some extra money for me | 6 | 6 |
People whom I could not refuse asked me to do it | 5 | 6 |
I wanted to affect the authorities and express my protest and dissatisfaction | 5 | 2 |
I was made to participate by pressure (menace) | 1 | 0 |
It is a means for me to "rise above the crowd", to make a career | 0 | 0 |
Other | 6 | 12 |
Hard to say | 13 | 11 |
If you participate (used to participate) in the social and political life, who aspires you to it? (Up to two responses; in % of those who participates/ has participated in social and political life) | ||||
| Total respondents | Estimation of own financial standing | ||
Very high, high | Average | Low, very low | ||
I would like to change life for the better in my city, village, in the country | 27 | 23 | 26 | 29 |
It is interesting for me | 25 | 25 | 26 | 21 |
I would like to settle the problem which I am interested in, to defend my own rights and interests | 16 | 13 | 17 | 16 |
I would like to help people who got caught up in a difficult situation | 13 | 10 | 14 | 14 |
I did it for company, out of solidarity with my friends and acquaintances | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
It is a way to earn some extra money for me | 6 | 15 | 6 | 4 |
People whom I could not refuse asked me to do it | 6 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
I wanted to affect the authorities and express my protest and dissatisfaction | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
I was made to participate by pressure (menace) | 0 | 1 | 0 | - |
It is a means for me to "rise above the crowd", to make a career | 0 | - | 1 | - |
Other | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 |
Hard to say | 11 | 13 | 10 | 13 |
If you have never participated in the social and political life, why have you never done it? (Up to two responses; in % of those who does not participate/ has never participated in social and political life) | ||
| 2005 | 2007 |
I am not interested in that | 24 | 34 |
I do not have the opportunity or time to do that, I am busy (with my job, my studies) | 17 | 21 |
I assume that politics should only be done by professionals | 15 | 16 |
I am sure that my participation is not going to change anything | 26 | 13 |
I trust our president and think that he will solve all the problems that the country has | 6 | 7 |
I do not see the leaders I could follow | 8 | 5 |
Politics is a "dirty business" and decent people should have nothing to do with it | 7 | 5 |
There are no social organizations or political parties that I could trust, and in which activity I could participate. | 6 | 4 |
Other | 3 | 6 |
Hard to say | 8 | 8 |
If you have never participated in the social and political life, why have you never done it? (Up to two responses; in % of those who does not participate/ has never participated in social and political life) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Age, years | ||||
18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and older | ||
I am not interested in that | 34 | 41 | 31 | 37 | 27 | 33 |
I do not have the opportunity or time to do that, I am busy (with my job, my studies) | 21 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 25 | 12 |
I assume that politics should only be done by professionals | 16 | 12 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 17 |
I am sure that my participation is not going to change anything | 13 | 6 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 22 |
I trust our president and think that he will solve all the problems that the country has | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
I do not see the leaders I could follow | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
Politics is a "dirty business" and decent people should have nothing to do with it | 5 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 2 |
There are no social organizations or political parties that I could trust, and in which activity I could participate. | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
Other | 6 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
Hard to say | 8 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 6 |