Citizens of Russia - about the Constitution

On the eve of Constitution Day, leading Russian sociological services (the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM), the Yuri Levada Analytical Center (Levada Center) and the Public Opinion Foundation) conducted polls about the Basic Law.

According to the VTsIOM poll, only 19% of those polled consider the people, all citizens of the country, to be the bearer of sovereignty and the source of power in Russia. More than half of the respondents (55%) are confident that the president, the head of state, is the bearer of sovereignty and the source of power in Russia.

Most of the citizens surveyed consider the right to life (58%), the right to liberty and security of person (52%) to be the most important. At the same time, only 13% consider voting rights important (however, in 2003, 6% of Russians thought so).

45% of Russians who participated in the FOM survey believe that the Constitution determines the life of Russian society, and 43% of those who answered consider it a formal document that does not affect the lives of citizens of our country in any way.

50% of respondents believe that the Basic Law should be reviewed periodically "in accordance with the requirements of the time." Answering the question why it is necessary to change the Constitution, 32% said that it is becoming obsolete (“the principles of public life are changing, various threats are arising”).

Sources

• Zubchenko E., Magomedova M. Many Russians believe that the Constitution needs to be changed more often // Novye Izvestia. 2005. December 12.