"Robert Ahdieh has provided an excellent, detailed account of the development of constitutionalism in the Soviet Union and Russia between 1985 and 1996."-International Affairs "Robert Ahdieh"s book will make an important contribution to our understanding of the complexities of Russia"s democratic development. His emphasis on constitutionalism as a central ingredient of a democratic state is precisely what the Russians need to assimilate into their mindset and effectively institutionalize."-Zbigniew Brzezinski "Although post-Soviet Russia is still young, it is not too early to begin writing its legal history. The author gained exceptional access to constitutional drafters in Russia and in this book has judiciously incorporated their observations into his careful reading of the relevant Western scholarship on the late USSR and the young Russian Federation."-Robert Sharlet, Union College "Events in Russia continually bear out Robert Ahdieh"s emphasis on the centrality of...