Description
Book SynopsisAnalyzes the reconstitution of the Russian polity. This book looks at Russia's democratic transition at the local level. It explains why some of the political institutions in the Russian provinces weathered the monumental changes of the early 1990s better than others.
Trade Review"An important contribution to an understanding of the transition away from Soviet rule in Russia ... and to theories of elite politics and governmental performance... [It] will stimulate readers from a wide range of backgrounds."--William M. Reisinger, American Political Science Review "An excellent study... Interesting and provocative."--Choice "Local Heroes ... makes a substantial empirical contribution to our knowledge of ... four Russian regions. It is an important book for scholars of Russia and also offers many insights to scholars of other countries as well."--Sue Davis, Russian Review
Table of ContentsList of Tables and FiguresPrefaceNote on TransliterationCh. 1Introduction3Ch. 2The Political Economy of Government Performance27Ch. 3Decentralization and Democratization: The Development of Regional Government Institutions56Ch. 4Who Governs Russia Well? Measuring Institutional Performance90Ch. 5Testing Theories of Performance Variation: Economic, Social-Structural, and Cultural Hypotheses131Ch. 6The Political Economy of Government Performance: Testing the Theory164Ch. 7Democracy and the Market at Risk?192App. ARegional Government Structures205App. BCross-Tabulations of Constituent Satisfaction with Regional Government by Urban and Rural Dwellers and by Levels of Education208Bibliography221Index235
