Russian democratization in the era of Boris Yeltsin: The role of historical models of leadership and the impact of political culture

This study assesses democratization in Russia through the prism of Boris Yeltsin's national political career, 1985--1999, and draws conclusions regarding Yeltsin's efforts to democratize Russia. Using leadership models developed by Robert Tucker, the study examines three types of leadership available to Yeltsin: traditional, revolutionary, and reform. The models themselves are analyzed via the theoretical framework of political culture, which connects the models to larger themes of Russian history. The study concludes that the leadership models have been shaped by the challenges of modernization and national identity in Russia. The reform model of leadership offers the best prospects for genuine democratization; the other two models are incompatible with democratic aims. Boris Yeltsin largely has failed in democratization due to his choices of models to lead Russia.