Elections and Democracy after Communism?

After the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union, hope was high for democracy's introduction to Eastern Europe and Eurasia. By the end of the twentieth century, a handful of the fifteen successor states had become democratic, but most were authoritarian or semi-authoritarian. Elections and Democracy after Communism? assesses the contradictory trajectories of post-communist states, focusing on the evolution of electoral practices. Chapters address the design and consequences of election rules, voter decisions to participate in elections and support specific parties, the use of referendums, election quality, and public responses to allegations of election fraud.