The 1999–2000 Elections in Russia: Their Impact and Legacy

Abstract

The 1999–2000 Elections in Russia: Their Impact and Legacy, Vicki L. Hesli and William M. Reisinger, eds., New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003, pp. 301.In many respects, the title of this volume understates the importance of its contribution to our understanding of the political dynamics of post-Soviet Russia. By conducting a thorough autopsy of the pivotal 1999 parliamentary and 2000 presidential elections, the contributors to The 1999–2000 Elections in Russia: Their Impact and Legacy do indeed say a great deal about the state of Russian electoral politics and political parties at the turn of the century. At the same time, they also provide an excellent overview of the first decade of reform in Russia, through the lens of electoral politics, and make some important conceptual linkages to the broader issues of democratization, institutional reform and public opinion.