Russia's Unfinished Revolution: Political Change from Gorbachev to Putin

New
Paperback
2002
$51.99

For centuries, dictators ruled Russia. Tsars and Communist Party chiefs were in charge for so long some analysts claimed Russians had a cultural predisposition for authoritarian leaders. Yet, as a result of reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev, new political institutions have emerged that now require election of political leaders and rule by constitutional procedures. Michael McFaul-described by the New York Times as one of the leading Russia experts in the United States -traces Russia's tumultuous political history from Gorbachev's rise to power in 1985 through the 1999 resignation of Boris Yeltsin in favor of Vladimir Putin.

McFaul divides his account of the post-Soviet country into three periods: the Gorbachev era (1985-1991), the First Russian Republic (1991-1993), and the Second Russian Republic (1993-present). The first two were, he believes, failures-failed institutional emergence or failed transitions to democracy. By contrast, new democratic institutions did emerge in the third era, though not the institutions of a liberal democracy. McFaul contends that any explanation for Russia's successes in shifting to democracy must also account for its failures. The Russian/Soviet case, he says, reveals the importance of forging social pacts; the efforts of Russian elites to form alliances failed, leading to two violent confrontations and a protracted transition from communism to democracy.

McFaul spent a great deal of time in Moscow in the 1990s and witnessed firsthand many of the events he describes. This experience, combined with frequent visits since and unparalleled access to senior Russian policymakers and politicians, has resulted in an astonishingly well-informed account. Russia's Unfinished Revolution is a comprehensive history of Russia during this crucial period.

Synopsis

For centuries, dictators ruled Russia. Tsars and Communist Party chiefs were in charge for so long some analysts claimed Russians had a cultural predisposition for authoritarian leaders. Yet, as a result of reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev, new political institutions have emerged that now require election of political leaders and rule by constitutional procedures. Michael McFaul-described by the New York Times as one of the leading Russia experts in the United States -traces Russia's tumultuous political history from Gorbachev's rise to power in 1985 through the 1999 resignation of Boris Yeltsin in favor of Vladimir Putin.

McFaul divides his account of the post-Soviet country into three periods: the Gorbachev era (1985-1991), the First Russian Republic (1991-1993), and the Second Russian Republic (1993-present). The first two were, he believes, failures-failed institutional emergence or failed transitions to democracy. By contrast, new democratic institutions did emerge in the third era, though not the institutions of a liberal democracy. McFaul contends that any explanation for Russia's successes in shifting to democracy must also account for its failures. The Russian/Soviet case, he says, reveals the importance of forging social pacts; the efforts of Russian elites to form alliances failed, leading to two violent confrontations and a protracted transition from communism to democracy.

McFaul spent a great deal of time in Moscow in the 1990s and witnessed firsthand many of the events he describes. This experience, combined with frequent visits since and unparalleled access to senior Russian policymakers and politicians, has resulted in an astonishingly well-informed account. Russia's Unfinished Revolution is a comprehensive history of Russia during this crucial period.

$51.99

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Published: 08 Aug 2002
ISBN 10: 0801488141
ISBN 13: 9780801488146

Media Reviews

McFaul has done an immense amount of research, and his narrative is dense and solidly anchored in a detailed bibliography. . . . This book carries the often discouraging tale of Russia's quest for democracy forward to the new century. -Library Journal

McFaul gives an erudite and well-documented history of the last fifteen years, from Gorbachev to Putin. . . . He brings striking firsthand experience to bear: The access he managed to obtain, and the time he spent with the revolution's various political players, brings fresh material and keen insight to the story. -Washington Monthly

McFaul, in an elaborately researched volume, asks why the effort to create new and stable political institutions initially failed-first under Gorbachev and then during Boris Yeltsin's first term-only to succeed under the 'Second Russian Republic'. . . McFaul's book is especially noteworthy for its rich detail, greatly enhanced by interviews with almost all the key players. -Foreign Affairs

The author is one of the most distinguished and engaged commentators on Russian politics. . . . He has produced a highly sophisticated, balanced and informative analysis of the emergence of Russian democracy that leaves open the question of whether it will become a consolidated democracy. -International Affairs

Michael McFaul's book on Russia's transition from communism is likely to prove one of the most lasting and authoritative studies in its field. Particularly valuable is the framework it offers for comprehending the changes that have occurred. . . . Quite apart from the value of the theoretical argument, however, the book is likely to become the authoritative study of the period for its sweep, balance, and clarity. -Journal of Democracy

In the worldwide cabal of Russia-watchers, Mike McFaul is held in high esteem as an insightful commentator and sharp analyst of current political puzzles in Moscow. This book is his claim for a deeper understanding of Russia'a transition. . . . This very rich and dense book deserves many hours of attentive reading. -Journal of Peace Research

Both a path-breaking study of Russian politics and a major work on institutional change, Russia's Unfinished Revolution provides the best analytic and theoretical account I have seen of how and why a broad range of actors may come to accept an ambiguous and flawed regime. The access that Michael McFaul has won and the understanding that he has mobilized are nothing short of breathtaking. This is a deeply informative, fascinating, and at times gripping history. -Larry Diamond, coeditor of the Journal of Democracy

Even those whose opinions differ from Michael McFaul's interpretations of transformative change in Russian politics since the second half of the 1980s will find this book both stimulating and exceptionally well-informed. McFaul combines theoretical grounding with readability-a far from common achievement. -Archie Brown, University of Oxford

Author Bio

Michael McFaul is the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he co-directs the Iran Democracy Project, as well as Professor of Political Science at Stanford University.