While the international system has been evolving in an increasingly liberal direction, the level of democratic practice within the post-Soviet region has, on the whole, declined. Two decades after the popular uprisings against communism, many governments in the region have successfully blunted both popular and international pressures for democratic consolidation. Each selection in this volume explores how international factors interact with domestic conditions to explain the persistence of authoritarianism throughout the region. The selections in the volume cover several countries, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, South Ossetia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus; special attention is paid to the Russian Federation since it is both a member of the region and acts as an external actor influencing the political development of its neighbors. This volume is especially relevant as the world again experiences the surprising overthrow of long-running authoritarian regimes. The failure of democratic consolidation among post-Soviet states offers important lessons for policymakers and academics dealing with the recent wave of political transitions in the Middle East and Asia.
Chapter 1: Introduction: Authoritarian Persistence in History's Aftermath Michael E. Aleprete Chapter 2: International Relations and Political Centralization during Putin's First Term Michael E. Aleprete Chapter 3: Petroleum vs. Western Aid: External Influences and Authoritarian Tendencies in Russia Olga Beznosova Chapter 4: Rent Seeking and Authoritarian Consolidation in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Assel Rustemova Chapter 5: Central Asian Conceptions of Democracy: Ideological Resistance to Democratization Mariya Omelicheva Chapter 6: The Promulgation of Anti-democratic Norms in South Ossetia Carmen Gayoso Chapter 7: Azerbaijan: The State as a Crossroads of Internal Policy and External Interests Rovshan Ibrahimov Chapter 8: Ukraine: A Democratic Post-Soviet State? Rachel Vanderhill Chapter 9: Out of the Authoritarian Labyrinth: Post-2009 Moldova Theodor Tudoroiu Chapter 10: Authoritarian Belarus between Europe and Russia: Four Scenarios Thomas Ambrosio Chapter 11: Conclusions: The International Dimension of Authoritarian Persistence Rachel Vanderhill Bibliography Contributors
