Determinants of Positive Attitudes towards an Authoritarian Regime: The Case of Belarus

The political and economic transition of Belarus has particular features among the post-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe. Twenty years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarus is characterized as an authoritarian regime personified in its president. This study identifies sources of citizens’ perceptions of the political regime in Belarus. We argue that the way in which citizens perceive the political regime is primarily determined by economic performance and the communist legacies. The results shed light on attitude formation in authoritarian countries and can represent valid explanations for the stability of such political regimes.