Author: Sharon Wolchik | Journal of Democracy

Sharon L. Wolchik is professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University and coauthor (with Valerie J. Bunce) of Defeating Authoritarian Leaders in Postcommunist Countries (2011).

July 2012, Volume 23, Issue 3

Putinism Under Siege: Can There Be a Color Revolution?

Sharon Wolchik

The recent protests in Russia raise the question of whether the Putin regime could fall to a “color” or electoral revolution like those that have ousted other autocratic regimes in postcommunist Europe and Eurasia over the past decade and a half.

July 2009, Volume 20, Issue 3

Democratization by Elections? Postcommunist Ambiguities

Since 1996, eight postcommunist authoritarian rulers have been ousted by “electoral revolutions.” Why have these not succeeded in other postcommunist countries?

January 2009, Volume 20, Issue 1

Debating the Color Revolutions: Getting Real About “Real Causes”

Structure, agency, and process all are critical in explaining the uneven pattern of electoral change in postcommunist Europe and Eurasia.

October 2006, Volume 17, Issue 4

Favorable Conditions and Electoral Revolutions

Over the past decade, a series of "electoral revolutions" has taken place from Slovakia to Kyrgyzstan. Why has this path to democratization been especially common in the postcommunist region?

Debates on Democratization

If democracy means anything, it means robust debates. Debates on Democratization is a collection of essays that explores the questions and controversies that surround contemporary democratization.