Skeletons in the Closet

Fülszöveg

CAMBRIDGE STUDIES IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS
"Mónika Nalepa has written a terrific book that explores a central question of democratization: why do autocrats give up power when they can reasonably expect their rivals to punish them if they do? In a rangé of cases from Eastern Europe, she finds that the threat of revealing the 'skeletons in the closet' of anti-communist politicians helped ex-communist parties transfer power without violence. Her simple formai models shed light on other puzzles, such as why lustration laws were often championed by ex-communist parties and why these laws were passed so laté in the transition. Nalepa's research is first rate, and the book brims with surprising insights about the politics of transferring power. This compelling book should be a high priority for anyone interested ín comparative politics, democratization, or Eastern Europe."
- Timothy Frye,
"Mónika Nalepa's provocative and compelling analysis answers critical questions: why would... Tovább

Fülszöveg

CAMBRIDGE STUDIES IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS
"Mónika Nalepa has written a terrific book that explores a central question of democratization: why do autocrats give up power when they can reasonably expect their rivals to punish them if they do? In a rangé of cases from Eastern Europe, she finds that the threat of revealing the 'skeletons in the closet' of anti-communist politicians helped ex-communist parties transfer power without violence. Her simple formai models shed light on other puzzles, such as why lustration laws were often championed by ex-communist parties and why these laws were passed so laté in the transition. Nalepa's research is first rate, and the book brims with surprising insights about the politics of transferring power. This compelling book should be a high priority for anyone interested ín comparative politics, democratization, or Eastern Europe."
- Timothy Frye,
"Mónika Nalepa's provocative and compelling analysis answers critical questions: why would authoritai leaders peacefully leave office, knowing they face punishment for their violations of humán rights i basic freedoms? And why would their opponents ever refrain from punishment? Her answers are subtle < sophisticated, recasting transitional justice in terms of elite complicity."
- Anna Grzymala-Bu!
"Skillfully blending careful theorizing, originál data analysis, and an important collection of personal interviews, Nalepa's book will likely redefine the received wisdom on the question of lustration for years to come. Her argument that the advent of lustration is not merely a reaction to the demands of voters in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of communism, but instead is a function of the degree to which relevant opposition actors in transition countries are stuck with 'skeletons in their closet' from communist infiltration and collaboration, is powerful, provocative, and ultimately convincing. The book is a must-read both for those interested in the subject of transitional justice writ large and for scholars of post-communist transitions. Indeed, at the end of the day, the book's thesis is not simply a story about lustration: it is a story of the transitions themselves."
- Joshua A. Tucker,
New York University
Mónika Nalepa is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. Vissza