Overview
This book compares sub-Saharan Africa and the former Soviet Union, two regions beset by the breakdown of states suffering from extreme official corruption, organized crime extending into warlordism, and the disintegration of economic institutions and public institutions for human services. The contributors not only study state breakdown but also compare the consequences of post-communism with those of post-colonialism.
Synopsis
This book compares sub-Saharan Africa and the former Soviet Union, two regions beset by the breakdown of states suffering from extreme official corruption, organized crime extending into warlordism, and the disintegration of economic institutions and public institutions for human services. The contributors not only study state breakdown but also compare the consequences of post-communism with those of post-colonialism.
Booknews
Several years of planning led to an international conference in March 1999 in Madison, Wisconsin, from which the 18 papers have been selected. Comparing the state crises that have engulfed the two regions, they consider their origins, similarities and differences, how they interact with interstate relations and global processes of change, the effect on salient social divisions, and potential pathways out of crisis. Distributed in the US by Johns Hopkins University Press. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Editorials
Choice
This volume is one of the few comparative studies of the two regions. As such, it reaches for broader and more theoretical generalizations across distinct geographical and cultural ines, rendering the book novoe, informative, and unique.Perspectives on Political Science
The excellent scholarly studies in [ Beyond State Crisis?] offer both in-depth focus on specific countries and problems and useful comparative speculation regarding similarities and differences between the Eurasian and African experiences. They make a strong case for the serious scholarly comparison of the two regions... Any scholar interested in comparative studies and international relations will find a wealth of substantive detail and theoretical discussion by expert observers of state effectiveness and breakdown in this important book.— Forest L. Grieves
Russian Review
Will most certainly become a classic of comparative politics.— Benjamin Neuberger
American Journal of Sociology
A volume that everyone, both professionals and students, concerned with the current world could read with profit.— Daniel Chirot