This essay was written for Can Democracy Take Root in Post-Soviet Russia? Edited by Harry Eckstein, Frederic J. Fleron, Erik P. Hoffmann, and William M. Reisinger (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 1998). It discusses cultural congruence theory and how this might be applied to post-communist Russia.
This paper compares the first democratization wave in the early 1990s with the third wave of democratization in the late 20th century. The two "waves" thus are not so dissimilar as to make it implausible to look for guidance for the later process on the earlier. 1 If these reinforce established theories about the conditions of viable democracy, the theories themselves acquire added credibility and it seems even more prudent to base present actions on the historic lessons.An early version of this essay was presented at the Annual Meetings of the American Political Science Association, New York Hilton, September 1-4, 1994.
Cookie SettingseScholarship uses cookies to ensure you have the best experience on our website. You can manage which cookies you want us to use.Our Privacy Statement includes more details on the cookies we use and how we protect your privacy.