Post-Communist Democratization
Political Discourses across Thirteen Countries

This book examines the way democracy is thought about and lived by people in the post-communist world.

John S. Dryzek (Author), Leslie Templeman Holmes (Author)

9780521001380, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 June 2002

314 pages, 28 tables
22.8 x 15.3 x 2.1 cm, 0.496 kg

'Post-Communist Democratization is an excellent piece of work. It was a well-conceived project, the findings of which have been equally well presented. It is a book that will be of interest to area specialists as well as those with a broader interest in theories of democracy. It is a pity that there are not more studies of this calibre available. Democratization

Democracy is not just a matter of constitutions, parliaments, elections, parties and the rule of law. In order to see if or how democracy works, we must attend to what people make of it, and what they think they are doing as they engage with politics, or as politics engages them. This book examines the way democracy and democratization are thought about and lived by people in China, Russia and eleven other countries in the post-communist world. It shows how democratic politics (and sometimes authoritarian politics) work in these countries, and generates insights into the prospects for different kinds of political development. The authors explore the implications for what is probable and possible in terms of trajectories of political reform, and examine four roads to democratization: liberal, republican, participatory and statist. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of comparative politics, political theory and post-communist studies.

Part I. Introductory: 1. The discourses of democratic transition
2. Methodology
Part II. Pre-Transition Countries: 3. China
4. Yugoslavia
Part III. Halting Transitions: 5. Belarus
6. Russia
7. Ukraine
Part IV. Transition Torn by War: 8. Armenia
9. Georgia
10. Moldova
Part V. Late Developers: 11. Slovakia
12. Romania
13. Bulgaria
Part VI. Trailblazers: 14. Poland
15. Czechia
Part VII. Conclusions: 16. Differences that matter - and those that do not.

Subject Areas: Political economy [KCP]