I'm reading a book put out by the Gorbachev Fund, a great collection of essays on Perestroika after 20 Years that even contains some foreign authors like Stephen Cohen. The last chapter has a bunch of great opinion polls going back to 1987 or so. I thought this recent one really shows the mood in the country. The numbers are amazing!
In your view, under which leader -- Gorbachev, Yeltsin, or Putin -- was the state of affairs in the country best? (%)
Area Gorbachev Yeltsin Putin Hard to Answer General condition 24 2 42 32 of the economy
Standard of living 32 5 40 24 of the population
Timeliness of 29 2 59 11 receiving pay, pensions, social services
Security of the 50 2 59 11 citizen
International position 34 3 36 28 of the country
General psycho- 36 5 22 37 logical climate in the country
State of democracy, 18 19 30 33 glasnost in the country
Effectiveness of state 13 2 36 49 governance of the country
Situation in the Army 36 2 19 43
Activity of the 26 2 19 54 organs of state security
Ethnic relationships 45 3 17 34
Political activeness 25 23 22 29 of citizens
Battle against the 12 3 35 50 corruption of bureaucrats
Human rights 18 6 22 53
Nu, zayats, pogodi!
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