Postcommunism and the theory of democracy
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Postcommunism and the theory of democracy
（Princeton paperbacks）
Princeton University Press, c2001
- : pbk
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [175]-195) and index
Hardcover edition (ISBN: 0691089167) catalogued separately as (BA57303265) because of lacking series statement
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Why did the wave of democracy that swept the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe starting more than a decade ago develop in ways unexpected by observers who relied on existing theories of democracy? In Postcommunism and the Theory of Democracy, four distinguished scholars conduct the first major assessment of democratization theory in light of the experience of postcommunist states. Richard Anderson, Steven Fish, Stephen Hanson, and Philip Roeder not only apply theory to practice, but using a wealth of empirical evidence, draw together the elements of existing theory into new syntheses. The authors each highlight a development in postcommunist societies that reveals an anomaly or lacuna in existing theory. They explain why authoritarian leaders abandon authoritarianism, why democratization sometimes reverses course, how subjects become citizens by beginning to take sides in politics, how rulers become politicians by beginning to seek popular support, and not least, how democracy becomes consolidated. Rather than converging on a single approach, each author shows how either a rationalist, institutionalist, discursive, or Weberian approach sheds light on this transformation.
They conclude that the experience of postcommunist democracy demands a rethinking of existing theory. To that end, they offer rich new insights to scholars, advanced students, policymakers, and anyone interested in postcommunist states or in comparative democratization.
Table of Contents
CONTRIBUTORS vii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi ONE: Introduction by George W. Breslauer 1 TWO: The Rejection of Authoritarianism by Philip G. Roeder 11 THREE: The Dynamics of Democratic Erosion by M. Steven Fish 54 FOUR: The Discursive Origins of Russian Democratic Politics by Richard D. Anderson, Jr. 96 FIVE: Defining Democratic Consolidation by Stephen E. Hanson 126 SIX: Conclusion: Postcommunism and the Theory of Democracy by Richard D. Anderson, Jr., M. Steven Fish, Stephen E. Hanson, and Philip G. Roeder, 152 NOTES 169 REFERENCES 175 INDEX 197
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