pp. 590-591
Staging Democracy: Political Performance in Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond, Jessica Pisano
With her new book, Jessica Pisano lifts the veil on what she sees as a political theater of post-Soviet politics—a distinct “political practice with its own set of meanings” (4). Behind it, Pisano finds an array of characters responsible for turning routine political events, such as elections or protests, into staged performances. Their success is based on myriad entangling relationships they establish and maintain with factory workers, pensioners, and public sector employees, whose livelihoods suddenly depend on their effectiveness in these new, imposed roles. Even though these political performances are, usually, short-lived, their repeated nature leaves a profound impact on how participants understand the nature of politics and interpret actions of political leaders and government officials. They also transform identities, establish new community boundaries, and produce a reality that remains little understood by outside observers.
Pisano's work builds on several earlier studies of post-Soviet political regimes, which explore the significance of informal exchanges and political manipulation for explaining electoral outcomes and protest outbreaks. Her book, however, probes these phenomena further by explicating the exact mechanisms that sustain them. At their core is the ability of national and local officials to redefine Soviet-era enti
To continue reading, see options above.
Join the Academy of Political Science and automatically receive Political Science Quarterly.
Academy Forum | The Transatlantic Relationship and the Russia-Ukraine War
January 9, 2025
4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. ET
WEBINAR
Virtual Issue
Introduction: Black Power and the Civil Rights Agendas of Charles V. Hamilton
Marylena Mantas and Robert Y. Shapiro
Publishing since 1886, PSQ is the most widely read and accessible scholarly journal with distinguished contributors such as: Lisa Anderson, Robert A. Dahl, Samuel P. Huntington, Robert Jervis, Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Theda Skocpol, Woodrow Wilson
view additional issuesArticles | Book reviews
The Academy of Political Science, promotes objective, scholarly analyses of political, social, and economic issues. Through its conferences and publications APS provides analysis and insight into both domestic and foreign policy issues.
With neither an ideological nor a partisan bias, PSQ looks at facts and analyzes data objectively to help readers understand what is really going on in national and world affairs.