Students of democratic theory have watched the dramatic 
transformation of Eastern Europe from communism to various 
forms of democracy in the last two decades. With her unique blend 
of theory and empirical analysis, veteran observer Sabrina P. 
Ramet offers clear insight into the processes, challenges, and 
accomplishments of this area.

    Drawing on a classical understanding of "liberalism" based on a 
philosophy of Natural Law, she probes the issues of capitalism, 
national sovereignty and self-determination, gender inequality, and 
political legitimacy in the context of Eastern Europe's particular 
experience. She also explores the limitations of classical liberalism 
and argues for the extension of liberal principles to encompass the 
rights of women and protection of all species as well as the 
environment.

    Political theorists, political scientists, students of Eastern 
Europe, and those interested in the larger questions of political 
philosophy will be richly rewarded in their reading of this volume by 
a renowned scholar of Eastern European politics.

_________________________________________________________

SABRINA P. RAMET is a professor of political science at the 
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in 
Trondheim, Norway, and a senior associate of the Centre for the 
Study of Civil War, PRIO, Oslo. She is a volume editor of two 
other books published by Texas A&M. Her Ph.D. is from the 
University of California at Los Angeles.


Eugenia and Hugh M. Stewart ’26 Series on Eastern Europe


What people are saying about this book

"An urgently significant and remarkably thoughtful contribution to 
our understanding of the promises and pitfalls of post-Cold War 
liberalism. Sabrina Ramet's superb knowledge of the East-European 
political and cultural dilemmas helps her poignantly highlight and 
scrutinize issues of global impact, including the many faces of 
nationalism and populism, the role of religion in democratic societies, 
and the complex relationship between modernity, capitalism, and 
liberal values."—Vladimir Tismaneanu, professor of politics, 
University of Maryland, author, Fantasies of Salvation: Democracy, 
Nationalism, and Myth in Post-Communist Europe

"A timely analysis. . . . The author's insights on the relations 
between liberalism, democracy, capitalism, and nationalism 
challenge conventional wisdom and are valuable in assessing other 
contemporary democracy-building endeavors."—Janusz Bugajski, 
Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.