Authoritarian Backlash: Russian Resistance to Democratization in the Former Soviet UnionAuthoritarian Russia has adopted five strategies to preserve the Kremlin's political power: insulate, bolster, subvert, redefine and coordinate. Thomas Ambrosio examines each of these in turn, all of which seek to counter or undermine regional democratic trends both at home and throughout the former Soviet Union. Policies such as these are of great concern to the growing literature on how autocratic regimes are becoming more active in their resistance to democracy. Through detailed case studies of each strategy, this book makes significant contributions to our understandings of Russian domestic and foreign policies, democratization theory and the policy challenges associated with democracy promotion. |
Contents
The Authoritarian Backlash Against Democracy | 1 |
The External Promotion of Democracy and Authoritarianism | 11 |
Political Trends in the Former Soviet Union An Overview | 27 |
Insulate Shielding Russia from External Democracy Promotion | 45 |
Redefine Rhetorical Defenses Against External Criticism | 69 |
Bolster Russian Support for Authoritarianism in Belarus | 105 |
Subvert Undermining Democracy in Georgia and Ukraine | 131 |
Coordinate Working with Others to Resist Democratization | 159 |
The Russian 20072008 Election Cycle | 185 |
The Future of Democracy and the Challenge of Authoritarianism | 201 |
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