Edited by two leading analysts of post-communist politics, this book brings together distinguished specialists on the former Soviet states of Central Asia and the Caucasus. Chapters on Kazakstan, Kyrgyszstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia provide a systematic analysis of elite politics, factionalism, party--and interest--group formation, and social and ethnic divisions. Karen Dawisha and Bruce Parrott contribute theoretical and comparative chapters on postcommunist political development. This book will provide students and scholars with detailed analysis by leading authorities, plus the latest research data on recent political and economic trends in each country.