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This book explores the factors that explain incumbent and opposition behavior in electoral authoritarian regimes. It focuses on states in the post-Soviet region and finds variation in the types of manipulation, the formation of opposition coalitions as well as election boycotts.

Intro -- TABLE OF CONTENTS -- Abstract -- Preface -- Acronyms and Abbreviations -- 1. Trade Portrait and Performance of the CIS Bloc -- Poor Quality of Trade Data or Trade Deflection? -- Overall Trade Performance -- Withering of Manufactured Trade -- Changing Geography of Trade -- Export Reorientation or Loss of Markets? -- Export Specialization of the CIS Countries -- Predominance of Inter-Industry Trade -- 2. Realizing Trade Potential: Openness and Trade Patterns -- Trade Openness: How Open are the CIS Countries? -- The Gravity Model: Recent Adjustments in Direction of Trade -- CIS-7: Lagging Behind in Trade Diversification and Export Performance -- Conclusion -- 3. The CIS Free Trade Area and Trade Integration -- Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) -- Standards -- Transit -- Customs Cooperation -- The CIS Bloc and the South-South Integration -- Conclusion -- 4. Conclusions and Recommendations -- Annexes -- Table A1: Merchandise Composition of Exports -- Table A2: Merchandise Trade Deficit with Major Partners -- References -- TABLES -- Table 1.1: Quality of Trade Data, 2000 -- Table 1.2: Intra-CIS Exports Minus Imports -- Table 1.3: Trade Indices of the CIS Members (1993-100) -- Table 1.4: Trade Flows and Balances of the CIS Economies, 1988-2000 -- Table 1.5: Export Composition by Sector -- Table 1.6: Geographical Composition of Exports and Imports -- Table 1.7: Merchandise Composition of CIS and Non-CIS Exports -- Table 1.8: Export Specialization Indices at the 1-digit SITC Level, 2000 -- Table 1.9: Export Specialization Index at the 2-digit SITC Level -- Table 1.10: Shares in Employment and Exports, 2000 -- Table 1.11: The Grubel-Lloyd Index -- Table 2.1: Trade Openness Models -- Table 2.2: CIS Actual vs Theoretical Openness -- Table 2.3: Potential and Realized Shares of Intra-CIS and EU Exports.

Using history, growth theory and a political economy approach, the authors of this title explain Soviet disintegration and analyse efforts to create capitalism in newly independent European states. Despite the evident social value of capitalism, they show that natural political resistance must be overcome before economic reforms can generate growth. They show how five neccessary reforms work in the context of a growth model to improve social welfare by promoting growth. They analyse the progress of six country's - Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Russia and Slovakia - in terms o

Examines political, criminal, and "blood feud" terrorist activity in the 15 newly independent states; potential to replace the Middle East as a generator of international crises. Focus on the southern Russian republics of Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and North Ossetia, the regions of Abkhazia and Marneuli in Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan; includes chronology of selected political terrorism, 1995-97.

Fifteen countries have emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union. Freedom's Ordeal recounts the struggles of these newly independent nations to achieve freedom and to establish support for fundamental human rights. Although history has shown that states emerging from collapsed empires rarely achieve full democracy in their first try, Peter Juviler analyzes these successor states as crucial and not always unpromising tests of democracy's viability in post-communist countries. Taking into account the particularly difficult legacies of Soviet communism, Freedom's Ordeal is distinguished by its careful tracing of the historical background, with special attention to human rights before, during, and after communism. Juviler suggests that the culture and practices of despotism may wither wherever modernization conflicts with tyranny and with the curtailment or denial of democratic rights and freedoms

This text has established itself as the best general introduction to Russian history, providing a forceful and highly readable survey from earliest times to the post-Soviet State. At the heart of the book is the changing relationship between the State and Russian society at large. The second edition has been substantially rewritten and updated and new material and fresh insights from recently accessible research have been incorporated into every chapter.

Despite the rise of religion as a visible force in the sociopolitical life of post-Soviet countries, little is known about how religion has contributed or may yet contribute to tensions or peace in this region. An improved understanding of the relationship between religion and conflict in the former Soviet republics can fill a critical gap and help inform policymakers and other actors working to bring peace and stability to this volatile region. This volume of essays takes a multidisciplinary and cross-domain look at religion and how it affects the stability of the former Soviet republics. Contributions by a range of international researchers and policy experts on religion and conflict and the post-Soviet region address the dynamics among religion, conflict, and stability in the South and North Caucasus, Central Asia, Ukraine, and Russia. The authors found that while the role of religion varies across contexts, religion has not been the original source of conflict in the FSU. Religion has, however, increasingly been used by both states and nonstate groups to mobilize supporters, and the infusion of religion in existing grievances has exacerbated existing tensions and encumbered progress toward peace. While broad in scope, this volume of essays provides an improved understanding of the role of religion in conflict and stability in the FSU. Further inter- and multidisciplinary work and scholar-practitioner collaborations will be crucial to developing comprehensive and nuanced recommendations for how to approach religion when working toward building sustainable peace in the FSU and beyond

This paper explains both the onset of the financial crisis in 1998 and the striking economic recovery afterwards in Russia and other Former Soviet Union (FSU) economies. Before the crisis banks do not lend to the real sector of the economy and firms use non-bank finance, including trade credits and barter trade, to finance production. The banking failure arises due to the coexistence of adverse selection in a lemons credit market jointly with high government borrowing. The collapse of the treasury bills market in the financial crisis of August 1998 triggers a change in banks lending behavior. A strong economic recovery follows which provides initial conditions for banking development.

Intro -- Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Abbreviations -- Preface -- 0. Introduction: Export Pipelines in Eurasia -- Part I. Russia's Foreign Energy Policy -- 1. Russian Foreign Energy Policy Under Vladimir Putin: Norms, Ideas, and Determining Factors -- 2. An Actor-Centred Institutionalist Approach to Russia's Pipeline Policies -- 3. Opening Up the Black Box: Russia's Energy Security Concept -- Part II. Energy Policy in Central Asia -- 4. Challenges Along the Way Towards a Maximally Secure Central Asian Gas System -- 5. The Geo-Economics of Eurasian Gas: the Evolution of Russian-Turkmen Relations in Natural Gas (1992-2010) -- 6. Pipelines and Hegemonies in the Caspian: a Gramscian Appraisal -- Part III. The Southern Energy Corridor -- 7. The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline and Nabucco West Pipeline Projects: Advantages and Disadvantages for Azerbaijan -- 8. EU Energy Policy Towards the Caspian Region: Assessing the Southern Gas Corridor -- 9. The EU's Democracy Promotion in its Eastern Neighbourhood: Consistency in the Shadow of Energy Trade and the EU's Ability -- Part IV. Ukraine's Energy Policy -- 10. Gas Disputes Between Russia and Ukraine: Patterns of Escalation and Russian Stakes (2006-2009) -- 11. The Struggle Over Ukraine's Gas Transit Pipeline Network Through the Lenses of Securitisation Theory -- Annex -- Oil and Gas Reserves and Production -- Oil and Gas Pipelines in Europe and Central Asia -- Selected Bibliography on Eurasian Export Pipelines -- About the Authors.