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Johns Hopkins Univ. Press
October 2001

October 2001, Volume 12, Number 4

Hong Kong: The Perils of Semidemocracy
William H. Overholt

Hong Kong has experienced a smooth transition from British to Chinese rule, but signs of political, economic, and social malaise mean that further steps toward fuller democracy are needed.

Ten Years After the Soviet Breakup

  • The Primacy of History and Culture
    Zbigniew Brzezinski

    The 15 states of the former Soviet fall into three broad categories, largely defined by fault lines of history and culture.

  • The Impact of Nationalism
    Ghia Nodia

    To grasp what is happening in the former USSR, we must examine the types of nationalism that flourish there.


  • From Democratization to "Guided Democracy"
    Archie Brown

    Except for the Baltic states, the countries of the former Soviet Union may be less democratic today than in the last years of the USSR.

  • The Advantages of Radical Reform
    Anders Åslund

    The failures of post-Soviet reform notwithstanding, serious strides have been made toward economic and political transformation.

  • Disillusionment in the Caucasus and Central Asia
    Charles H. Fairbanks, Jr.

    In the southern reaches of what was once the USSR, democracy seems far off. Can that change?

  • Sovereignty and Uncertainty in Ukraine
    Nadia Diuk

    Ukraine has secured its independence, but remains troubled by slow growth, corruption, and an overly strong presidency.

  • Russia's Hybrid Regime
    Lilia Shevtsova

    In Russia, formally democratic institutions coexist uneasily with the reality of tightly consolidated bureaucratic and executive power.

  • Putin's Path
    M. Steven Fish

    Although his methods are hardly democratic, Putin's efforts to strengthen the Russian state may help democracy in the long term.

  • Going Backwards
    Grigory Yavlinsky

    A leading Russian oppositionist speaks out against continuing official assaults on self-government and human rights.

  • A Mixed Record, An Uncertain Future
    Michael McFaul

    Despite huge changes, the events of the last ten years raise doubts about the notion of "democratic transition" itself.
How Burma Could Democratize
Andrew Reynolds, Alfred Stepan, Zaw Oo, and Stephen Levine

How can Burma peacefully move away from military rule and toward a stable democratic system based on sound electoral and federal arrangements?

Why Direct Election Failed in Israel
Emanuele Ottolenghi

Israel began directly electing its prime minister in 1992, only to abandon this change less than ten years later. What came between was a series of hard lessons in the unintended consequences or reform.

The Organization of American States in Peru

  • A Model for the Future?
    Andrew F. Cooper and Thomas Legler

    In Peru in 2000, the OAS made an unprecedented diplomatic intervention in a member state. Could this be a model for the future?

  • Room for Improvement
    Cynthia McClintock

    Although the OAS helped, sudden public revelations of corruption in Peru were more important.

    Further information not contained in the printed article may be found here.
Public Opinion and Direct Democracy
Russell J. Dalton, Wilhelm Bürklin, and Andrew Drummond

Direct democracy has come in for praise as being closer to the people's will than representative democracy. A closer look at the sources of public support, however, reveals some surprises.

Further information not contained in the printed article may be found here.

Whatever Happened to "Asian Values"?
Mark Thompson

In the wake of the East Asian economic crisis of 1997-98, how has the appeal to "Asian Values" fared as a rhetorical prop for undemocratic rule?

Books in Review

  • Defying the Odds
    H. Kwasi Prempeh

    A review of Building the Rule of Law by Jennifer A. Widner.

  • The Chihuahua Strategy
    Ernest A. Greco

    A review of Mexico's Political Awakening by Vikram K. Chand.

Election Watch

  • Brief reports on elections in Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, East Timor, Fiji, Sao Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, and Uganda.

Documents on Democracy

  • A letter by Elena Bonner, human rights activist and widow of Andrei Sakharov, on the situation in Chechnya;
  • Excerpts from Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri's inaugural address to her nation on August 16, 2001;
  • Excerpts from the "New Africa Initiative," an action plan for the future of the African continent, issued by the African Union on July 11, 2001;
  • The OAS General Assembly Resolution 1753 authorizing an OAS mission to Peru in 2000;
  • Excerpts from Iranian president Mohammad Khatami's inaugural speech on August 8, 2001.
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