Party Systems in Post-Soviet Countries: A Comparative Study of Political Institutionalization in the Baltic States, Russia, and Ukraine

ISBN-13: 9781403974495 / Angielski / Twarda / 2007 / 262 str.

Andrey A Meleshevich

Opis

Too few investigations have attempted to shore up critical knowledge gaps about post-Soviet states by conducting comparative analyses of political institutions and developing rigorous methods suitable for cross-national longitudinal analysis. This book attempts to close a few of the gaps left by many previous publications in the post-Soviet field. It conducts a cross-country multiple-election examination of political party systems in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, and Ukraine in the past one and a half decades. The project measures and explains different degrees and dynamics of party system institutionalization in these five nations - an important factor bearing on the progress of a nation toward consolidating stable democracy.

Recenzje

"A pathbreaking study that broadens our conceptual and empirical understanding of the comparative development of the party systems in five countries. Applying a sophisticated theoretical methodology, the work fills a major gap in the literature on the inter-relationship between institutions, elections and political outcomes."

- Richard Sakwa, University of Kent at Canterbury"This volume provides a much-needed comparative analysis of party systems in five post-Soviet states. The analysis benefits from being theoretically informed, conceptually rigorous and systematic in its approach. It also contains a wealth of empirical data that will undoubtedly be of considerable use to other scholars. Meleshevich's systematic comparative approach to party-system institutionalization distinguishes it from much previous research and marks it out as a milestone in the field of post-Soviet studies. This work will undoubtedly become a point of reference for scholars of post-Soviet party systems in years to come, and it will be essential reading for students of party systems in the post-communist world and beyond."

- Sarah Birch, Department of Government, University of Essex"This book is a very interesting study of party system institutionalization in post- communist politics. Unlike many contemporary studies, Andrey Meleshevich fully incorporates the existing general comparative literature on party-system institutionalization and uses that framework to shed light on how party systems are emerging in the countries of the former Soviet Union. This is truly a comparative work,andcontributes greatly to integrating the study of post-communist politics with mainstream comparative politics." - John Ishiyama, Professor of Political Science, Truman University

Spis treści

Introduction PART I: MEASURING POLITICAL INSTITUTIONALIZATION IN THE BALTIC STATES, RUSSIA, AND UKRAINE Conceptual Framework and Operational Indicators of Political Institutionalization Autonomy of the Party System: Recruitment into the Legislature Autonomy of the Party System: Patterns of Cabinet Formation Autonomy of the Party System: Regional Strength of Party Identification Stability of the Party System Measuring Political Institutionalization: Conclusion PART II: EXPLAINING POLITICAL INSTITUTIONALIZATION IN THE BALTIC STATES, RUSSIA, AND UKRAINE The Role of the Old Communist Elites during the Formative Stage of the Party System Executive-Legislative Relations and the Party System Political Consequences of Electoral and Party Laws "Parties of Power" and the Party System Conclusion

O autorze

ANDREY A. MELESHEVICH is a professor of law and politics at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine.