One. Introduction; Two. Post-Soviet Russia's Political Trajectory; Three. Explaining Competition in Russia's Early Gubernatorial Elections; Four. The Erosion of Competitive Gubernatorial Elections in Russia; Five. Failed Experiment? Presidential Control over the Tenures of Governors in the Russian Federation, 2005-12; Six. Mobilized Voter Turnout and the Spread of Regional Authoritarianism; Seven. The Regional Role in Federal Election Outcomes; Eight. The Diffusion of Deference; Nine. Conclusion; Appendix 1: Data Sources and Construction of Indicators Appendix 2: Cases Excluded from Analyses of Putin-Era Gubernatorial ElectionsNotes; References; Index.