For Russian leader Vladimir Putin, public opinion acts as both a constraint and a license. He is constrained to avoid actions that drive down his job approval. There might have been no invasion of Ukraine had Putin anticipated a serious loss of public support as a consequence. In contrast, when the Russian people decline to withdraw support when Putin poisons or murders opponents or invades a neighboring sovereign nation, they are renewing Putin’s license to carry out his dark deeds.
Read Full Article »
