Tracing the Historical Origins of Contemporary Political Cultures: A Comparative Analysis of Russia and Ukraine

By using Russia and Ukraine as illustrative examples, this research examines the impact of past encounters with invasions and territorial fragmentation on the development of democratic political cultures. Drawing on individual-level psychological theories, it argues that prolonged occupations cultivate pro-democratic values, including resistance and autonomy. In contrast, regions acting as occupiers exhibit authoritarian governance, fostering submission to authorities and a skewed perception of power. Additionally, historical territorial fragmentation is assumed to promote opinion diversity, encouraging social dialogues and motivating citizens to seek increased political involvement. These theoretical propositions are tested through latent class analysis using World Values Survey data. Findings indicate that Ukrainians, shaped by a history of prolonged occupation and territorial fragmentation, tend to align with a class displaying stronger democratic values. In contrast, respondents from Russia, lacking these specific historical influences, are grouped within a class marked by less democratic orientations. These results are further applied to analyze the political economy of both countries, focusing on the distribution of bargaining power among the state, market, and population.