The term ‘populist democracy’ has gained a bad reputation, owing in large part to the the rule of Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales, which have done much to discredit its legitimacy and the left populist project that it represents.
Since 2004, the Russian presidential elections have been a plebiscite, demonstrating public trust in the acting government; there are no grounds to believe that things will be different in 2012.
