Edited by two of the world's leading analysts of post communist politics, this book brings together distinguished specialists on the former Soviet states of Central Asia and the Caucasus. Chapters on Kazakhstan, Kyrkyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, provide a systematic analysis of elite politics, factionalism, party and interest group formation, and social and ethnic groupings. Karen Dawisha and Bruce Parrott provide theoretical and comparative chapters on post communist political development across the region. This book will provide students and scholars with detailed analysis by leading authorities, plus the latest research data on recent political and economic developments in each country.