States such as Russia and Ukraine may not have gone back to totalitarianism or the traditional authoritarian formula of stuffing the ballot box. But a whole industry of 'political technology' has developed instead, with shadowy private firms and government 'fixers' on lucrative contracts dedicated to the black arts of organising electoral success. This book uncovers the sophisticated techniques of the 'virtual' political system used to legitimise post-Soviet regimes: entire fake parties, phantom political rivals and 'scarecrow' opponents. And it exposes the paramount role of the mass...