Russian Politics: Challenges of Democratization

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.

"Michael McFaul's chapter on Russian elections is one of the best and most useful for students of Russia...The well-written conclusion is among many other merits of the book...It skillfully assesses whether overall Russia has been successful in building a true democracy." Choice"In this accessibly written volume, Zoltan Barany and Robert Moser have brought together a group of exceptional scholars...The volume's chapters compliment each other nicely." Political Science Quarterly"The book is pitched at the level of an advanced undergraduate reader, and it does a good job of introducing students to the best current research on the Russian political transition. (I am assigning the book to my students this semester.)" Perspectives on Politics"This collection of essays by leading younger scholars offers a descriptively rich and analytically sophisticated survey of contemporary Russian politics." Slavic Review

Introduction: challenges of Russian democratization Robert G. Moser; 1. Russian electoral trends Michael McFaul; 2. Executive-legislative relations in Russia, 1991-1999 Robert G. Moser; 3. The Russian Central State in crisis: center and periphery in the post-Soviet era Kathryn Stoner-Weiss; 4. Russian economic reform, 1991-1999 Yoshiko M. Herrera; 5. Politics and the Russian Armed Forces Zoltan Barany; 6. Conclusion: democracy and Russian politics M. Steven Fish; Notes.