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“McGlinchey makes a powerful case for rethinking how social scientists understand politics in authoritarian regimes and how practitioners should be going about promoting reform. Rich with pathbreaking insights into the nature of Central Asian politics and the role of Islam, this book is founded on impressive on-the-ground fieldwork that brings the subject to life for readers.” —Henry Hale, George Washington University “McGlinchey’s book—the product of extensive field research, impressive analytic skills, and a keen mind—represents an excellent contribution to our understanding of state building and regime type in Central Asia.With a clear and engaging writing style that is rare among social scientists, he forwards an argument that is at once complex and analytically rewarding.The book will be crucial for anyone hoping to learn about or conduct research on the Central Asian state.” —Edward Schatz, University of Toronto In the post-Soviet era, democracy has made little progress in Central Asia. Chaos,Violence,Dynasty presents a compelling explanation for this through a comparison of the divergent political courses taken by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan in the wake of Soviet rule. While the Soviet legacy is crucial to understanding the varying outcomes in these countries, Eric McGlinchey also examines the economics, religion, politics, foreign investment, and ethnic composition of these nations to reveal insights into their relative strengths and weaknesses today. Soviet rule and influence in the region were inconsistent. Thus, Soviet manipulation of the politics of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the late 1980s solidified the role of local elites, while in Kyrgyzstan, Moscow looked away as leadership crumbled during the ethnic riots of 1990. Today, Kyrgyzstan is the poorest and most politically unstable country in the region, thanks to a small, corrupt, and fractured political elite. In Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov maintains power through the brutal suppression of disaffected Muslims, who are nevertheless rising in numbers and influence. In Kazakhstan, a political machine fueled by oil wealth and patronage underlies the greatest economic equity in the region, and far less political violence. This timely study concludes with a call for a more realistic and flexible view of the authoritarian systems in the region, if there is to be any potential benefit from foreign engagement with the nations of Central Asia and similar political systems globally. Eric McGlinchey is assistant professor of government and politics at George Mason University. CENTRAL EURASIA IN CONTEXT University of Pittsburgh Press www.upress.pitt.edu cover art: iStock Photo cover design: Ann Walston & Joel W. Coggins CENTRAL ASIAN STUDIES ISBN 13: 978-0-8229-6168-0 ISBN 10: 0-8229-6168-7 ...

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