Great Power Competition and the Path to Democracy

The Case of Georgia, 1991-2020
Erscheinungsjahr 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64825-043-9
Verlag: Boydell & Brewer

Buch, Englisch, Band 28, 202 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm, Gewicht: 440 g

Reihe: Rochester Studies in East and Central Europe

A close examination of the competing influences of the West and Russia over the fate of democracy in Georgia and other former Soviet bloc nations

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly formed transitional regimes took up the challenging task of democratization, a task that was complicated by competition between great world powers over the future of such regimes. This book explores the effects and implications of competition between Russia and Western nations, with specific reference to democratization in the case of Georgia. In doing so, it challenges the conventional wisdom that competition between promoters of democracy and autocracy reduces the effectiveness of efforts toward democracy.

Using the compelling example of Georgia, author Zarina Burkadze argues that great power competition may distribute political power in a way that causes a democratic regime to emerge, supporting her argument with evidence from an impressive array of archival sources as well as from sixty-six interviews with state officials, opposition leaders, foreign diplomats, media and nongovernmental representatives, and other experts. While the case study of Georgia is the central concern of the narrative, the book's final chapter provides an important cross-case comparison of democratization efforts in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Ukraine.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Burkadze, Zarina

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Demokratie
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Studien zu einzelnen Ländern und Gebieten

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Introduction: The Puzzle of Georgian Democratization
Chapter 1: Autocracy and Democracy in Georgia: What Made the Difference?
Chapter 2: Democratization without Great Power Competition, 1991-1993
Chapter 3: Pluralizing Geopolitical Space, 1993-2003
Chapter 4: The Dictatorship of Democrats, 2003-2012
Chapter 5 Democratic Arrival? 2012-2020
Chapter 6: Democracies In-Between
Conclusion
Appendix I
Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Burkadze, Zarina
ZARINA BURKADZE is Associate Professor of Political Science, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.