Sirvi Autor "Romanov, Bogdan" järgi

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COVID 19… 84? The stringency of responses to COVID-19 across the world
(Tartu Ülikool, 2021) Romanov, Bogdan; Solvak, Mihkel, juhendaja; Kabanov, Yury, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
In December 2019, the world heard about the COVID-19 virus for the first time. It has been almost two years since the date, yet political science and public policy disciplines cannot predict or explain the stringency level of introduced anti-coronavirus measurements. This MA thesis strives to fill in the lacuna from both theoretical and empirical viewpoints. For the former aspect, the paper deconstructs the process of COVID-19 policymaking on the basis of “policy diffusion” theory by Berry and Berry (2006) and other complementary theories (i.e., “external shock”, “state capacity”, “diffusion of innovations” theories). Such a complex framework allowed the paper to unpack every element of “policy diffusion” theory and, thus, produce a more detailed description of principles within the decision-making procedure. The theory computed thirteen hypotheses, extrapolated on 185 countries in the sample, which were tested in a large-N quantitative empirical analysis via the visualisations, correlations, the OLS regressions, and Bayesian Network methods. The analysis results are the following: the salience of the coronavirus crisis (number of cases/deaths; Cases Per Capita; Case Fatality Rate) is the primary explanatory variable for the high level of stringency embedded in the policy response. At the same time, as specified in the literature, the autocracies do apply more stringent policies; the malfunctioning accountability mechanism might explain this. What is more vital in terms of policy recommendations is that sufficient healthcare capacities (i.e., the number of hospital beds and healthcare expenditures) might mitigate the side-effects of the coronavirus, thus states introduce more lenient anti-COVID-19 policies. Additionally, the population density, institutional trust, and state’s economic support have a positive association with the stringency. Apart from testing the connections between the variables, the paper has also left some clues for the following research, for instance, there is a regional pattern in terms of COVID-19 responses: some regional units might be more stringent than others.
Domestic Decision-Making, Regional Linkages, and Cybersecurity Considerations: Implementation of Internet Voting in Russia, September 2021
(2022) Carmichael, Logan; Romanov, Bogdan
The research objective of the article is to explain why and how the Russian Federation implemented online voting in the case of the September 2021 national State Council elections. This case constitutes the first instance of large-scale, non-democratic, and legally binding elections with the use of i-voting. Hence, the paper provides answers to (1) why i-voting was introduced in the already state-controlled electoral context, (2) how Estonia, as a cradle of i-voting, affected the decision-making in Russia, and (3) how cybersecurity concerns were addressed by technology providers and engage in a discussion about cybersecurity not for users, but for officials. Our research design focuses on the instance of Russian online voting without going into further details of regional and capital city distinction and relies on the interview data. Results show that (1) the primary motivation underpinning the introduction of i-voting in Russia was regime stability, (2) Estonian successes in e-governance and i-voting did not impact decision-making in Russia, and (3) cybersecurity concerns around the i-voting technologies used in Russia were indeed present but were not central to decision-making. Findings have broader implications, the research fills in a gap in the literature surrounding the emergence of i-voting, as well as the relationship these processes have with existing, longer-term implementations in democratic states. At the same time, from the empirical viewpoint, the work sheds light on how topics in non-democracies can be studied.
I Know, Therefore, I Trust?
(Oxford University Press, British Computer Society, 2025-12-30) Romanov, Bogdan; Duenas Cid, David; Solvak, Mihkel
Internet voting is widely adopted in Estonia, yet psychological factors influencing its acceptance remain underexplored. The increasing complexity of digital voting systems raises concerns about whether voters rely on institutional trust or personal confidence driven by knowledge. This study applies Simmel’s concept of trust, bridging ignorance and certainty, and Giddens’ differentiation between trust and confidence. These frameworks help understand how different knowledge levels influence the mechanisms voters use to decide whether to use Internet voting or not. Using post-election survey data from the 2021 local and 2023 parliamentary elections in Estonia (N = 1,153, N = 1,001), this study examines how technical knowledge moderates the relationship between trust in institutions and confidence in one’s own knowledge when it relates to Internet voting. The key independent variables include technical knowledge, confidence in the system, and trust in political institutions; the dependent variable is binary Internet voting usage. Logistic regressions are employed to assess the effects of the variables, including the set of standard socio-economic controls. Results show that confidence is the decisive factor for individuals with high levels of technical knowledge, significantly increasing their likelihood of voting online. Trust in government does not exert a consistent effect overall, with significance emerging only among respondents with high knowledge. By contrast, both trust in system performance and trust in Internet voting show robust positive main effects across the electorate, without evidence that their influence differs by knowledge level. These findings enrich the literature by influencing how knowledge conditions the role of confidence, while trust complements adoption more broadly.
Pandemic-proof elections: Did COVID-19 increase the use of Internet voting?
(Department for E-Governance and Administration, University for Continuing Education Krems, 2025-12-31) Romanov, Bogdan; Solvak, Mihkel
COVID-19 forced governments to postpone elections, potentially jeopardizing the func-tionality of democratic societies by delaying regime legitimization. However, theoretically, In-ternet voting, as a mode of absentee voting, can easily overcome the pandemic circumstances by reducing the electorate's voting costs, yet the connection was not discovered. Hence, in this re-search, we decided to shed light on how COVID-19 affected voting costs and Internet voting usage, especially across at-risk groups. As a result, we explored that in the state with homogeneous i-voting diffusion, COVID-19 did not impact paper-voting and i-voting turnout, in general, and amidst the elderly population as well. First of all, these findings illustrate the existence of a saturation point in the technology acceptance rate. Additionally, the article discusses the theo-retical-empirical conceptualization of voting costs and the causal mechanism of the pandemic and turnout.
State versus Technology: What drives trust in and usage of internet voting, institutional or technological trust?
(Elsevier, 2025-09-05) Romanov, Bogdan; Duenas Cid, David; Leets, Peeter
This study examines the combined influence of technological and institutional trust on citizens’ perceptions of and engagement with Internet voting, addressing gaps in the literature on digital governance and trust. While prior research often treats these trust dimensions separately, this article explores their interplay within the context of Estonia, which has utilized Internet voting for two decades. By constructing composite indices for technological and institutional trust through factor analysis, the study offers a novel methodological approach to operationalizing trust in digital governance (within the article, digital governance and e-governance are used interchangeably) research in general and Internet voting in particular, based on post-electoral survey data. Applying linear and logistic regression analyses, the study explicitly examines how these trust dimensions affect citizens’ trust in Internet voting systems and their actual use of such technology. The findings reveal that institutional trust is significantly more influential than technological trust, consistently emerging as the primary driver for both trusting Internet voting and engaging in its usage. Technological trust, in contrast, demonstrates only marginal predictive strength, highlighting the greater importance citizens place on institutional legitimacy, transparency, and accountability. These results emphasize the compensatory nature of institutional trust, suggesting that robust institutional frameworks allow citizens to confidently engage with complex technological systems despite limited technical understanding. Consequently, this research enhances theoretical insights into trust dynamics within digital governance, particularly in contexts where political sensitivity and institutional credibility significantly impact technology adoption.
Trust in online voting under different regime settings: evidence from public opinion on online voting in national elections in Estonia and Russia
(Taylor & Francis, 2025-04-03) Romanov, Bogdan; Babayan, Valeria
This study examines attitudes toward online voting in Russia and Estonia, the only countries with online nationwide elections. While both countries share a common post-Soviet legacy, their divergent political regimes provide a distinctive framework for comparative analysis. Survey data from Russia (2021) and Estonia (2023) reveal that duty-based motivations to vote are more prevalent in authoritarian Russia with a vivid Soviet legacy, while instrumental motivations (e.g. convenience, fairness) have a greater contribution to attitude formation in democratic Estonia. Perceived advantages affect trust in online voting; however, the “winner effect” reduces trust in both contexts, highlighting differences in technology adoption in electoral processes. Our results challenge the findings regarding online voting adoption in terms of individual characteristics, such as age, technological competences, and education, displaying the variability of their effects across regime settings.