 Stephen K. Wegren, Democratization and Urban Bias in Postcommunist Russia Urban
bias is commonly thought to be more intense in nondemocratic nations, in
particular in one party systems. As societies democratize and introduce
political competition, policy shifts in favor of rural interests. However,
during Russian democratization urban bias has intensified through a
widening price scissors, an open trade policy, and low domestic purchase
prices. This intensification is explained by four factors previously not
considered by urban bias theory: ideological differences between the state
and rural interests; the ideological compatibility of rural interests; the
internal coherence of rural interests; and the nature of political
alliances entered into by rural groups. |