Defeating Authoritarian Leaders in Postcommunist Countries
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- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Publication date:
- 05 June 2012
- 30 June 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780511977404
- 9781107006850
- 9780521187251
- Dimensions:
- (234 x 156 mm)
- Weight & Pages:
- 0.68kg, 396 Pages
- Dimensions:
- (234 x 156 mm)
- Weight & Pages:
- 0.57kg, 386 Pages
- Subjects:
- Politics: General Interest, Sociology: General Interest, Politics and International Relations, Comparative Politics
You may already have access via personal or institutional login- Subjects:
- Politics: General Interest, Sociology: General Interest, Politics and International Relations, Comparative Politics
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Book description
From 1998 to 2005, six elections took place in postcommunist Europe that had the surprising outcome of empowering the opposition and defeating authoritarian incumbents or their designated successors. Valerie J. Bunce and Sharon L. Wolchik compare these unexpected electoral breakthroughs. They draw three conclusions. First, the opposition was victorious because of the hard and creative work of a transnational network composed of local opposition and civil society groups, members of the international democracy assistance community and graduates of successful electoral challenges to authoritarian rule in other countries. Second, the remarkable run of these upset elections reflected the ability of this network to diffuse an ensemble of innovative electoral strategies across state boundaries. Finally, elections can serve as a powerful mechanism for democratic change. This is especially the case when civil society is strong, the transfer of political power is through constitutional means, and opposition leaders win with small mandates.
Reviews
'This book is a valuable addition to the literature on post-communist democratisation.'
Source: Political Studies
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