Economic crises threaten electoral autocracies, but how citizens form perceptions and attribute blame remains unclear. This study analyzes subnational economic performance in Russia during recent downturns using over 67,000 survey responses paired with regional growth and unemployment data.

Data & Methods: Surveys of voting-age respondents across Russian regions linked to local economic indicators during the crisis period 📊

Key Findings: Citizens actively extract objective economic information from personal experience despite exposure to propaganda. Weight given to this information varies based on two factors: 1) regional political dominance making economic performance clearer, and 2) perceived media bias 🧠

Why It Matters: These findings suggest limits to authoritarian regimes' ability to manipulate popular perception during downturns by using conventional explanations for economic problems. Economic crisis alone may not be enough to sustain support without maintaining informational asymmetry 👍

This research demonstrates citizens' resistance to propaganda and their sophisticated assessment of political systems, offering new insights into the dynamics of electoral authoritarianism.