Soviet Union — Lenin-era government (1917–1924)
Soviet Union
Basis for the estimate: Bolshevik one-party state, War Communism then NEP, Red Terror, legalized abortion (1920).
Official system and how it worked in practice
| Official system | Soviet republic (the Russian SFSR, then the USSR from 1922) under Bolshevik one-party rule |
|---|---|
| In practice, 1917 | Electoral autocracy multiparty elections, but without sufficient freedom, fairness or protection of basic freedoms |
| In practice, 1918–1924 | Closed autocracy no multiparty elections for the chief executive |
“In practice” is V-Dem’s Regimes of the World classification for Russia, 1917–1924, from expert-coded data (V-Dem Regimes of the World (v2x_regime), V-Dem dataset v16, March 2026). V-Dem codes each country as it stood at the end of each year, so the first and last years can reflect the previous or next government. The official system is the constitutional form during the period.
Political placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 4 | strongly toward collective / planned | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 30 | toward progressive | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 87 | strongly toward authoritarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 40 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 60 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 3 | strongly toward collective ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 79 | toward state restrictions |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 40 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 34 | toward progressive |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 95 | strongly toward autocratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 28 | toward egalitarian |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 95 | strongly toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 60 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 20 | toward secular state |
Country and government scores interpret the policies of a specific government or period; they are not an authoritative ranking of countries, and official constitutional structures can differ from how power is exercised in practice. How scores are made.
Key positions (estimated)
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. | Strongly disagrees | from their record |
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Preserving a historic national majority is a legitimate immigration objective. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Major industries should be publicly owned rather than privately controlled. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| A strong leader who gets things done matters more than following proper procedures. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| National security can justify restrictions on what journalists publish. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Markets generally distribute goods more effectively than government planners. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Reducing the gap between rich and poor should be a major government goal. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Non-intervention should be the default even when allies request military assistance. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Strict term limits should apply to the head of government. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
Closest ideologies
Most similar governments
Sources
- Wikipedia: Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Wikipedia search)
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.