International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

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Social Consent Without Democracy: A Sociological Study of Regime Stability in Russia

Author(s) Mr. NITIN RAKESH, Ms. SIMRAN KUMARI
Country India
Abstract This study examines the sociological foundations of regime stability in contemporary Russia by analysing how social consent is produced and sustained in the absence of democratic institutions. Building on existing scholarship that rejects the teleological assumptions of the post–Cold War transition paradigm, the research conceptualises Russia not as a failed democracy in transition but as a stabilised authoritarian order in which compliance has been normalised.
The literature demonstrates that regime durability in Russia is rooted in an ideologically mediated relationship between the state and society rather than in electoral legitimacy or participatory governance. The study draws particular attention to the ideological framework of "sovereign democracy," which redefines political legitimacy as loyalty to state sovereignty and national survival rather than popular consent. Within this framework, democratic institutions function as symbolic façades, while dissent is reframed as moral betrayal or foreign interference.
The research further highlights how this ideological construction is reinforced through legal repression, social atomization, and the restructuring of civil society into state-aligned and marginalised spheres. Rather than eliminating civic participation, the regime channels social engagement into controlled and depoliticised forms, producing what the literature describes as consentful contention—localized claims-making that affirms, rather than challenges, state authority.
The analysis also emphasizes the role of historical legacies and moral narratives in shaping societal responses to authoritarian governance. Experiences of the turbulent 1990s, combined with enduring ambivalence toward Western political models, have contributed to widespread acceptance of a strong, centralized state. Economic hardship and political exclusion are often morally justified through narratives of sacrifice, stability, and civilizational endurance, further limiting the potential for collective mobilization.
By synthesizing research on ideology, civil society, repression, and contentious politics, this study argues that social consent in Russia is best understood as a form of adaptive compliance rather than democratic legitimacy. The findings contribute to broader sociological debates on authoritarian resilience by demonstrating how regimes can maintain stability through the management of consent, participation, and meaning, even in the absence of democratic accountability.
Keywords Consentful Contension, Authoritarian Stability, Civil Society, State-Society Relations, Russia, Legitimacy
Field Sociology > Politics
Published In Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On 2026-01-11
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.66162
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