Edited by two leading analysts of post-communist politics, this book brings together distinguished specialists on Russia and the western newly independent states of the former USSR. Chapters on Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, plus three chapters on Russia's new political order, its political parties, and its regional politics and the overall process of democratization, provide an in-depth analysis of the uneven pattern of change in these four countries. 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.