The article presents the results of interregional empirical research conducted by a team of scientists led by the author of this publication; one of the tasks of the research was to make a comparative assessment of the potential of youth political leadership in terms of identifying youth attitudes. Methodological parameters of the sample and method of collecting information ensured the representativeness, reliability and accuracy of data. By means of quite traditional analytical tools, such as one-dimensional and two-dimensional distribution of signs, calculation of standardized residues, correlation analysis, calculation of a new variable, the author shows the similarities and differences between the attitudes of young people in St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, the Leningrad Region and the Altai Territory. The main parameters are: the status characteristics of youth leaders, the significant resources for the leadership, the most important functions of youth leaders, opportunities to realize the potential of youth leadership in the political life of the country, awareness of institutionalized forms of realization of leadership potential; the willingness of young people to create youth public organizations, to use the resources offered to participate as a candidate in local or regional elections; the need to become a leader in the youth environment. Based on the calculation of the new variable, the author has estimated the size of groups of young people with different levels of leadership potential and revealed the features of the socio-demographic characteristics of potential youth leaders in the regions surveyed. The author shows the similarities and differences in young people’s ideas about political leadership, their own potential to perform such functions in the youth environment and the opportunities for the realization of leadership potential provided by the political regime and political system. The author concludes that there is no hard differentiation of the attitudes of young people in the studied regions.