Transnational networks, diffusion dynamics, and electoral revolutions in the postcommunist world

Since 1996, eight elections have taken place in postcommunist Europe and Eurasia that have replaced illiberal with liberal governments. There is ample evidence that these “electoral revolutions” reflected the cross-national diffusion of a distinctive model of regime change that was developed elsewhere and that was designed to promote democratization in authoritarian political contexts featuring semi-competitive elections. This electoral model spread throughout the postcommunist region because of both shared perceptions by opposition groups of similar local conditions and the existence of transnational democracy promotion networks that included local, regional and American participants. As these revolutions spread, however, they were less successful in carrying through democratic change-in part because local conditions were less supportive and in part because authoritarian leaders and their international allies were both forewarned and forearmed.