International Dimensions of Authoritarian Persistence

Lessons from Post-Soviet States

Contributions by Thomas Ambrosio, Olga Beznosova, Carmen Gayoso, Rovshan Ibrahimov, Mariya Y. Omelicheva, Assel Tutumlu, Theodor Tudoroiu Edited by Rachel Vanderhill, Michael E. Aleprete

Paperback - £44.00

Publication date:

27 March 2017

Length of book:

280 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9781498556934

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.
This edited collection focuses on a significant and timely, yet largely neglected, topic—the role of international factors in explaining authoritarian persistence. While focusing on former Soviet states, it is a “must read” for students and experts seeking to understand the relationship between authoritarianism and globalization.