State and intelligence agencies in democracy and authoritarianism: A comparison of Tussia and the United States of America

This study aims to comparatively analyze the institutional conduct of intelligence agencies across different regime types. The analysis, conducted within the context of autonomy, transparency, accountability, and institutional integrity, identified the United States and Russia as case studies. These two countries were chosen because they have contributed largely to the evolution of modern-day intelligence, also intelligence institutions do not have a sufficient place in democratization studies in the literature. In this arrangement, the research question is to understand how democratic and authoritarian regimes practice with their intelligence agencies through key factors including autonomy, transparency, accountability and whether they maintain their institutional integrity? The research was using qualitative research methods through a comparative case study most different system design with theoretical framing of historical institutionalism. This method examines whether the intelligence agencies of the US and Russia, which differ in terms of regimes and institutions, exhibit similar or different behaviors. The study analyzes notable intelligence events in both countries from the beginning of the 21st century until the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2019, examining how institutional structures and stated values align. The data accessed indicate that, under a democratic government, US intelligence agencies most of the time demonstrate grave failures in transparency, accountability, and autonomy. Under an authoritarian structure in Russia, it is seen that a clearly established institutional framework related to these values does not exist, and the distinction between intelligence agencies and the state appears to be becoming indistinct with the loss of institutional integrity. Keywords: Intelligence Agencies, Democracy, Authoritarianism, US Intelligence, Russian Intelligence