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Article: After empire: what? (post-Soviet Union politics and Russia's political reforms) (After Communism: What?)
- Article from:
- Daedalus
- Article date:
- June 22, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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FOR TWO-THIRDS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY the lands and peoples of the Soviet Union were defined and studied in terms of their common Soviet, or communist, identity. Eastern Europe was similarly defined for almost half a century (although differences within the region were recognized more often). Today, when communism seems to have been defeated, these areas are again viewed in terms of a common, this time postcommunist, agenda: Will they establish market economies? Will they be democratic? Will the new elites and societies manage to make a peaceful transition, or will there be violent upheavals?
In addition to asking what will emerge after communism, we must look ...