Abstract
The first chapter examines to what extent voting behavior of people with different employment status and the distribution of votes are affected by regional differences in corruption. Using data from the Russian Parliamentary (State Duma) Elections of 1999 and 2003, I develop and estimate a SUR system of equations which takes into account specific features of the Russian electoral system.
The paper distinguishes between hard and perceived measures of corruption and analyzes the effects of corruption on the shares of votes for particular parties and on voter participation in elections. The second chapter focuses on the effects of reforms and religion on happiness in transition economies.
Finally, in the third chapter, coauthored with Vladimir Otrachshenko, we analyze the perceived impact of the euro introduction on the life satisfaction of individuals in 17 European economies. Using data from the Eurobarometer surveys and applying the difference-in-differences approach, we explore which groups were primarily affected by the euro introduction and whether the life satisfaction of individuals adapted to the euro introduction within two years.