Religion is not always considered a pillar of democracy, however, The Russian Orthodox Church being the primary religion of Russia has had a profound influence on its culture (Grudzinska-Gross 48). Its tradition of state control has helped foster a slave mentality among the Russian people. Its refusal to allow dissent or debate over religious practices has ingrained in the Russian mind the need to bow to the dictates of their superiors without question, which is not a healthy trait in a democracy. In America the presence of many religions has forced the general population to accept their fellow citizen's differences of opinion in religious matters, but in Russia the predominant Orthodox Church encouraged discrimination against other religions. Even as recently as 1993 the Russian Orthodox Church encouraged the passing of a law that would have forced religious organizations to register with the state and that would have restricted "non-traditional" religious activity. The Russian Orthodox Church has also failed to take a very active part in democracy as churches in America have done. It has not encouraged debates over policy and it has not even become involved in advocating for issues except where it is directly concerned. In stark contrast are the religious organizations in America that strongly advocate their positions. They encourage their congregations to get involved in the democratic process and to lobby for what they believe in (Grudzinska-Gross 187). The diverse and active religious groups in America have served as bastion of strength for democracy while the Orthodox Church of Russia has functioned more as a servant of autocracy. However, it should be noted that the Church's influence has declined. Seventy years of Communism severely damaged its position as did the Church's lack of opposition to serfdom, the despotism of the tsars, and the Communists. Still, it has undoubtedly had a strong influence.

McDaniel, Tim. The Agony of the Russian Idea. Princeton: Princeton

With this new criticism of proceeding ideals, it is apparent change of mind is gradually occurring in Russia. It will, however, take a significant amount of time before this new attitude can be implemented throughout the entire Russian society. Many obstacles lie in the way sustaining conservative foundations in the Russian economy which are necessary for their democracy. One of those obstacles is the lack of middle class (McDaniel 169). Poor people have a tendency to be more radical than those of the middle or upper classes. So many poor people, the current situation in Russia, leads to instability. These people have no stake in democracy, they instead value prosperity. They look to the government when looking for a savior giving the government a huge amount of power. The middle class generally acts as a conservative influence, especially regarding the right of private property which is inevitably a major pillar of any democracy. All of this is in large contrast to America where we have an abundant middle class that acts as a balance to the radical groups in America. There has never been a Communist party in the United States, even during the depression when the nation was in dire need of a savior. The middle class is a strong basis of support for democracy in America. Diverse, incongruent and motivated to maintain democracy,

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Approximate Word count = 2260
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)