Presidents, Oligarchs and Bureaucrats

Over the last decade the "transition paradigm", which is based on the conviction that authoritarian political systems would over time necessarily develop into democracies, has been subjected to serious criticism. The complex political and societal developments in the post-Soviet region in particular have exposed flaws in the claim that a shift from authoritarianism to democracy is inevitable. Using case studies from the post-Soviet region, a broad range of international contributors present an original and innovative contribution to the debate. They explore the character of post-Soviet regimes and review the political transformations they have experienced since the end of the Cold War. Through a combination of theoretical approaches and detailed, empirical analysis the authors highlight the difficulties and benefits of applying the concepts of hybrid regimes, competitive authoritarianism and neopatrimonialism to the countries of the post-Soviet space. Through this in-depth approach the authors demonstrate how "Presidents, Oligarchs and Bureaucrats" in the region lead their countries, examine the sources of their legitimacy and their relationship to the societies they govern and advance the general theoretical debate on regime change and transition paths.

Introduction, SusanStewart, MargareteKlein, AndreaSchmitz, Hans-HenningSchröder; Part 1 Theory; Chapter 1 Forms of Rule in the Post-Soviet Space, TimmBeichelt; Chapter 2 Democracy and a Level Playing Field, StevenLevitsky, Lucan A.Way; Chapter 3 Neopatrimonialism, GeroErdmann; Part 2 Case Studies; Chapter 4 Russia's Political Regime, MargaretaMommsen; Chapter 5 Subnational Authoritarianism in Russia, VladimirGel'man; Chapter 6 Fascistoid Russia, Alexander J.Motyl; Part 3 Case Studies; Chapter 7 From Competitive Authoritarianism to Defective Democracy, HeikoPleines; Chapter 8 Elections and Treatment of the Opposition in Post-Soviet Georgia, PamelaJawad; Chapter 9 From Corruption to Rotation, ChristianTimm; Part 4 Case Studies; Chapter 10 Changing Political Systems and Regime Types, Paul GeorgGeiss; Chapter 11 Seeing Like a President, SebastianSchiek, StephanHensell; Chapter 12 The Loss of Difference, AlexanderWolters; Chapter 101 Conclusion, SusanStewart, MargareteKlein, AndreaSchmitz, Hans-HenningSchröder;