POLITICAL CULTURE AND DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT IN EASTERN EUROPE

Rezumat

Subject political culture is the representative variable for explaining democratic fragility in Eastern Europe. This article aims to develop, through quantitative models, the association between cultural variables and the quality of democracy. Thus, the article proposes comparative case studies between Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Belarus. The main criteria of this quantitative analysis are represented by: i) the importance of politics for citizens; ii) the importance of religion in citizens` lives; iii) the political Affiliation; iv) NGO membership; iv) feeling of freedom; v) political action; vi) perception of Government; vii) confidence in Government and Parliament; viii) national identity; ix) index of material-post material culture. The empirical result demonstrates a strong association between the quality of democracy and the perception of government. In accord to this result we argue that political psychology, social mentality and the subject political subject political culture determine a cognitive framework based on authoritarianism, nostalgia of communism and incremental democratic reform. Political apathy, social anxiety and “fear of freedom” are dominant factors of the cultural background and the main vectors of political attitudes and behaviours in ex-soviet countries.