Popular Participation in Authoritarian Governance in the USSR

The question of what “democracy,” “democratization,” and “authoritarianism” means in Eastern Europe has been a topic of discussion in the international academic community for decades. The main distinction between “democratic” and “authoritarian” systems (and “authoritarian” and “totalitarian” ones) lies in the balance between the powers and rights of state and population and in the influence of citizens on the course of their country’s political, economic, and social life. This conference will investigate some of the debates around the degree and nature of popular participation in Soviet governance throughout its history: what kinds of public involvement in governance were permitted at various times, and how were they controlled? Did citizens perceive themselves to be meaningfully participating in political and civic life? In what official or indirect ways did citizens influence politics, major economic decisions, the direction of cultural life, political policing and the maintenance of social order, etc.?