Government and Politics of Former Soviet Union

This course is designed to provide an understanding of the political complexities of countries comprising the former Soviet Union, and to see where contemporary post-Soviet studies fits within the context of political science scholarship. Historical parts of the course will focus on characteristics of Communism, the collapse in 1991, and the transitions there after.

Covering political cleavages in post-Soviet context, ethnic conflicts, economic and political transitions as well as color revolutions, this course will provide a survey of Post-Soviet states. The regional patterns will be evaluated including continuous glances before and after the communist period, particularly focusing on Russia, Baltics, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.