Publication

This paper discusses the implications of the controversy surrounding the 2011 Russian State Duma elections for US foreign policy. The rumors of electoral irregularities were given some official credence by an Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) report, which described ballot-box stuffing, government manipulation, a biased electoral commission and slanted media coverage. In this context, this paper considers the policy implications for the US of lagging democratization and human rights abuses in Russia.