Russian Politics: Challenges of Democratization

By Zoltan Barany

Book Overview

What went wrong in Russia? A group of leading young scholars answer this question through a theoretically informed, in-depth analysis of the Yeltsin era. They challenge explanations that stress the constraints of history and concentrate instead on the importance of elite decisions and political institutions. The authors agree that elite inattention to institution building has been a central problem of Russia's postcommunist transition. The weakness of the state and its institutions has contributed to a number of serious problems threatening democratic consolidation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521805120
• ISBN13: 9780521805124
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

THE BEST UPDATE ON RUSSIA'S TRANSITION TO DEMOCRATIZATION

The editors and contributors to the book are the leading scholars in their respective fields. If I could give six stars to it instead of five, I would. To the question "What went wrong in Russia" the contributors critically evaluate a number of most frequently mentioned explanations, such as state crisis, Russia's troubled asymmetrical federalism, economic reforms, elections.The book as of today presents the best update on the subject. I personally used it as one of the primary sources for my A exam.