Coloured Revolutions and Authoritarian Reactions

Coloured Revolutions and Authoritarian Reactions
Author: Evgeny Finkel
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 195
Release: 2014-07-17
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317980239

Between 2000 and 2005, colour revolutions swept away authoritarian and semi-authoritarian regimes in Serbia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine. Yet, after these initial successes, attempts to replicate the strategies failed to produce regime change elsewhere in the region. The book argues that students of democratization and democracy promotion should study not only the successful colour revolutions, but also the colour revolution prevention strategies adopted by authoritarian elites. Based on a series of qualitative, country-focused studies the book explores the whole spectrum of anti-democratization policies, adopted by autocratic rulers and demonstrates that authoritarian regimes studied democracy promotion techniques, used in various colour revolutions, and focused their prevention strategies on combatting these techniques. The book proposes a new typology of authoritarian reactions to the challenge of democratization and argues that the specific mix of policies and rhetoric, adopted by each authoritarian regime, depended on the perceived intensity of threat to regime survival and the regime’s perceived strength vis-à-vis the democratic opposition. This book was published as a special issue of Democratization.

Coloured Revolutions and Authoritarian Reactions

Coloured Revolutions and Authoritarian Reactions
Author: Evgeny Finkel
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2014-07-17
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317980247

Between 2000 and 2005, colour revolutions swept away authoritarian and semi-authoritarian regimes in Serbia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine. Yet, after these initial successes, attempts to replicate the strategies failed to produce regime change elsewhere in the region. The book argues that students of democratization and democracy promotion should study not only the successful colour revolutions, but also the colour revolution prevention strategies adopted by authoritarian elites. Based on a series of qualitative, country-focused studies the book explores the whole spectrum of anti-democratization policies, adopted by autocratic rulers and demonstrates that authoritarian regimes studied democracy promotion techniques, used in various colour revolutions, and focused their prevention strategies on combatting these techniques. The book proposes a new typology of authoritarian reactions to the challenge of democratization and argues that the specific mix of policies and rhetoric, adopted by each authoritarian regime, depended on the perceived intensity of threat to regime survival and the regime’s perceived strength vis-à-vis the democratic opposition. This book was published as a special issue of Democratization.

Revolution and Reaction

Revolution and Reaction
Author: Kurt Weyland
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2019-03-28
Genre: History
ISBN: 1108483550

Explains how bold efforts at profound progressive change provoked a powerful reactionary backlash that led to the imposition of brutal, regressive dictatorships.

Color Revolutions: Techniques in Breaking Down Modern Political Regimes

Color Revolutions: Techniques in Breaking Down Modern Political Regimes
Author: Andrei Manoilo
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2015-02-20
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1496970195

The monograph is devoted to the analysis of the problems associated with the dismantling of the political regimes in modern states (both authoritarian and democratic type) and with the role of technology in the process of color revolutions.

The Colour Revolutions in the Former Soviet Republics

The Colour Revolutions in the Former Soviet Republics
Author: Donnacha Ó Beacháin
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 267
Release: 2010-07-12
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1136951970

This book explores the origins and effects, successes and failures of "colour revolutions" in the former Soviet Republics - the non-violent protests which succeeded in overthrowing post-communist authoritarian regimes, for example in Georgia in 2003, Ukraine in 2004 and Kyrgyzstan in 2005.

The Color Revolutions

The Color Revolutions
Author: Lincoln A. Mitchell
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Total Pages: 252
Release: 2012-06-22
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0812207092

From late 2003 through mid-2005, a series of peaceful street protests toppled corrupt and undemocratic regimes in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan and ushered in the election of new presidents in all three nations. These movements—collectively known as the Color Revolutions—were greeted in the West as democratic breakthroughs that might thoroughly reshape the political terrain of the former Soviet Union. But as Lincoln A. Mitchell explains in The Color Revolutions, it has since become clear that these protests were as much reflections of continuity as they were moments of radical change. Not only did these movements do little to spur democratic change in other post-Soviet states, but their impact on Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan themselves was quite different from what was initially expected. In fact, Mitchell suggests, the Color Revolutions are best understood as phases in each nation's long post-Communist transition: significant events, to be sure, but far short of true revolutions. The Color Revolutions explores the causes and consequences of all three Color Revolutions—the Rose Revolution in Georgia, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, and the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan—identifying both common themes and national variations. Mitchell's analysis also addresses the role of American democracy promotion programs, the responses of nondemocratic regimes to the Color Revolutions, the impact of these events on U.S.-Russian relations, and the failed "revolutions" in Azerbaijan and Belarus in 2005 and 2006. At a time when the Arab Spring has raised hopes for democratic development in the Middle East, Mitchell's account of the Color Revolutions serves as a valuable reminder of the dangers of confusing dramatic moments with lasting democratic breakthroughs.

The Hungarian Patient

The Hungarian Patient
Author: Peter Krasztev
Publisher: Central European University Press
Total Pages: 412
Release: 2015-07-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 6155053081

This book presents compelling essays by leading Hungarian and foreign authors on the variety of social movements and parties that seek influence and power in a Hungary mired in deep and manifold crisis. The main question the volume tries to answer is: what can we expect after the fall of the semi-authoritarian Orb n regime in Hungary.ÿ Who will be the new players?ÿ What are their backgrounds? What are their political and social ideals, intentions and methods? The studies in the first section of the volume provide the reader with the reasons of the emergence of these new movements: a deep analysis of the historical, political and cultural background of the current situation. The second part contains essays and case studies which challenge the movements and parties involved to look beyond their current ineffectiveness, and to find ways of meeting the challenges that would allow them to exercise responsible and effective leadership in their time and place. This collection would be the first of the kind both in the field of movement theory/history and democracy studies because it reflects on very recent developments not researched in the international scholarly literature. One would not be able to understand contemporary Hungarian society without reading it before the 2014 elections.

Building an Authoritarian Polity

Building an Authoritarian Polity
Author: Graeme Gill
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2015-11-12
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1107130085

Argues that post-Soviet Russia was never on a democratic trajectory because dominant elites always fostered the building of an authoritarian polity.

Elections, Protest, and Authoritarian Regime Stability

Elections, Protest, and Authoritarian Regime Stability
Author: Regina Smyth
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2020-10-29
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 110889836X

In a path-breaking study of Russian elections, Regina Smyth reveals how much electoral competition matters to the Putin regime and how competition leaves Russia more vulnerable to opposition challenges than is perceived in the West. Using original data and analysis, Smyth demonstrates how even weak political opposition can force autocratic incumbents to rethink strategy and find compromises in order to win elections. Smyth challenges conventional notions about Putin's regime, highlighting the vast resources the Kremlin expends to maintain a permanent campaign to construct regime-friendly majorities. These tactics include disinformation as well as symbolic politics, social benefits, repression, and falsification. This book reveals the stresses and challenges of maintaining an electoral authoritarian regime and provides a roadmap to understand how seemingly stable authoritarian systems can fall quickly to popular challenges even when the opposition is weak. A must-read for understanding Russia's future and the role of elections in contemporary autocratic regimes.

Color Revolutions in Eurasia

Color Revolutions in Eurasia
Author: Julia Gerlach
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 58
Release: 2014-06-21
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3319078720

Why have large-scale protests and mass demonstrations in some post-socialist Eurasian states led to the fall of autocratic leaders, whereas similar other regimes prevail? This book addresses the question by providing an overview of eight cases of so-called Color Revolutions, and explains factors of ‘success’ and ‘failure’ by discussing the state-of-the-art in the political science discourse on Color Revolutions. It concludes by summarizing and contextualizing the results of the analysis and highlighting open research for political science on the theme of Color Revolutions.