Book review: Presidents, oligarchs and bureaucrats: formsof rule in the post-Soviet space

Using case studies from the post-Soviet region, the contributors to Presidents, Oligarchs and Bureaucrats explore the character of post-Soviet regimes and review the political transformations experienced since the end of the Cold War. Through a combination of theoretical approaches and detailed, empirical analysis the authors highlight the difficulties and benefits of applying the concepts of hybrid regimes, competitive authoritarianism and neopatrimonialism to the countries of the post-Soviet space. Liz Carolan finds that the authors offer some ways to address an uneven playing field which may be of use to those currently focused on support democratic transitions.