Institutional Change and Political Continuity in Post-Soviet Central Asia: Power, Perceptions, and Pacts

ISBN-13: 9780521801096 / Angielski / Twarda / 2002 / 344 str.

Connecticut) Pauline Jones Luong (Yale University

Opis

The establishment of electoral systems in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan presents a complex set of empirical puzzles as well as a theoretical challenge. Why did three states with similar cultural, historical, and structural legacies establish such different electoral systems? How did these distinct outcomes result from strikingly similar institutional design processes? Explaining these puzzles requires understanding not only the outcome of institutional design but also the intricacies of the process that led to this outcome. Moreover, the transitional context in which the three states designed new electoral rules necessitates an approach that explicitly links process and outcome in a dynamic setting. This book provides such an approach. It depicts institutional design as a transitional bargaining game in which the dynamic interaction between the structural-historical and immediate-strategic contexts directly shapes actors' perceptions of shifts in their relative power, and hence, their bargaining strategies. Thus, it both builds on the key insights of the dominant approaches to explaining institutional origin and change and transcends these approaches by moving beyond the structure versus agency debate.

Recenzje

Review of the hardback: 'This book will hopefully be the first of many applying the tools of comparative politics to Central Asia, thereby furthering our understanding of the region. Its combination of theory and quality of research will ensure that this book is warmly welcomed by both Central Asia specialists and transitologists alike.' Slavonic & East European Review

Spis treści

1. The continuity of change: old formulas and new institutions; 2. Explaining institutional design in transitional states: beyond structure versus agency; 3. Sources of continuity: the Soviet legacy in Central Asia; 4. Sources of change: the transitional context in Central Asia; 5. The electoral system in Kyrgyzstan: rise of the regions; 6. The electoral system in Uzbekistan: revenge of the center; 7. The electoral system in Kazakhstan: the center's rise and the regions' revenge; 8. Institutional change through continuity: shifting power and prospects for democracy.