The Party System and Cohesion in Post-Communist Legislatures

Abstract

Does the party system impact the behavior of legislators in new democracies? This paper attempts to answer the question by examining the cohesion of deputies in the first three convocations of the newly independent Russian Federation (1993-2003) and Ukraine (1994-2006). The results show little indication that party system variation across electoral districts or across time in both chambers influenced the cohesio of individual single-member district legislators. These results jibe with the existing research on party systems in both countries. Scholars of both Russia and Ukraine argue that during their initial periods of independence they maintained weak party system.

Keywords: Russia, Ukraine, Legislature, Party System, Cohesion