This study of democratization in East-Central Europe is the first of four books produced by the Project on Democratization and Political Participation in Postcommunist Societies. The project has been sponsored jointly by the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland at College Park. It draws on the talents of scholars from a wide array of other universities and research institutions.

As codirectors of the project, we are grateful for material support furnished by two organizations. Principal funding for the project has been provided by the United States Department of State as part of its external research program. In addition, the intellectual planning of the project was aided at a crucial juncture by a grant from the Joint Committee on Eastern Europe of the American Council of Learned Societies. However, none of the views or conclusions contained in the book should be interpreted as representing the official opinion or policy of the Department of State or of the Joint Committee.

The three other volumes in the series deal with the countries of South-East Europe; with the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus; and with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. Any student of contemporary international affairs knows that the delineation of “Europe” and its constituent regions frequently generates intellectual controversy about which countries belong to Europe or to “the West.”