Pathways after Empire: National Identity and Foreign Economic Policy in the Post-Soviet World / Edition 1

by Andrei P. Tsygankov San Francisco State Unive

Overview

This book explores how culture shapes foreign economic policy in post-Soviet states. After the Soviet empire fragmented, some of the newly emerged nations directed their economic activities primarily toward Russia and other former republics, while others turned sharply away from the Soviet bloc. Taking a constructivist approach, Andrei P. Tsygankov explains the striking variation by making the original argument that a new state's strength of national identity shapes its foreign economic policy. The stronger the identity, the more likely the new state was to shift away from the empire. Drawing on detailed case studies of Latvia, Ukraine, and Belarus, the author demonstrates how the Baltic nations, with a strong sense of identity, chose to deal with Russia and other ex-Soviet nations on a strictly bilateral basis and entered preferential arrangements with European countries. Ukraine, with moderate identity strength, pursued active economic relations with both Russia and Europe. Finally, Belarus, with a relatively weak identity, pursued an effort to reintegrate with Russia at the expense of developing ties with Europe. Employing a range of both qualitative and quantitative analysis, this study brings a national identity perspective into the forefront of international political economy theory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742516731
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	12/04/2001
Series:	The New International Relations of Europe
Pages:	254
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.78(d)

About the Author

Andrei P. Tsygankov is assistant professor of international relations at San Francisco State University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: National Identity, Domestic Structures, and Foreign Economic Policy Chapter 3: Latvia Chapter 4: Ukraine Chapter 5: Belarus Chapter 6: Evidence from Other Ex-Soviet Republics Chapter 7: Conclusions and Implications Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

The book offers some interesting insights into the politics of post-Soviet economic reform. It adds a new and promising line of analysis to the ongoing debate on the political economy of transition and in this sense is a commendable contribution.

Canadian Slavonic Papers

Perhaps the most interesting consequence of the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 was the behavior of the successor states, which did not fit the pattern predicted by the experts. Looking for an answer to this puzzle, Andrei Tsygankov concluded that it was the new states' strength of national identity that determined their policy. His masterful analysis of foreign economic policies of Latvia, Ukraine, and Belarus makes his study required reading for all those interested in post-Communist transition.

Andrzej Korbonski

Tsygankov's fine book is one of the few to link the politics of identity with economic policy, and to powerful effect. His treatment of east European national identity shines with careful empirical research as well as unusual nuggets of wisdom. Pathways after Empire offers valuable lessons from the post-Soviet world with great relevance for other post-imperial transitions.

Martha Merritt

The book provides an insightful, comparative analysis of the foreign economic courses of the three post-Soviet republics. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above.

Choice Reviews

The analysis is well organized and rigorous. For political scientists eager to see 'the constructivist turn' take hold in the field of international political economy, this book offers a good example of how identity studies might be applied to strategic foreign economic choice.

Slavic Review

Andrei Tsygankov is a member of an exciting new generation of scholars who have been trained in both Russian and Western academic traditions. His analysis of the significance of national identity illustrates the differential success of the former Soviet republics in the attainment of relative economic independence from Russia. The study is original, insightful, and persuasive.

James R. Millar

Tsygankov makes a strong case for a moderate constructivist approach to understanding foreign policy and, by implication, foreign policy more generally. His judicious tone throughout Pathways after Empire, the care of his research, and the generosity with which he treats alternative explanations all contribute to a convincing account.

American Political Science Review

Andrei Tsygankov is a member of an exciting new generation of scholars who have been trained in both Russian and Western academic traditions. His analysis of the significance of national identity illustrates the differential success of the former Soviet republics in the attainment of relative economic independence from Russia. The study is original, insightful, and persuasive.

Perhaps the most interesting consequence of the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 was the behavior of the successor states, which did not fit the pattern predicted by the experts. Looking for an answer to this puzzle, Andrei Tsygankov concluded that it was the new states' strength of national identity that determined their policy. His masterful analysis of foreign economic policies of Latvia, Ukraine, and Belarus makes his study required reading for all those interested in post-Communist transition.

The analysis is well organized and rigorous. For political scientists eager to see 'the constructivist turn' take hold in the field of international political economy, this book offers a good example of how identity studies might be applied to strategic foreign economic choice.

The book offers some interesting insights into the politics of post-Soviet economic reform. It adds a new and promising line of analysis to the ongoing debate on the political economy of transition and in this sense is a commendable contribution.

The book provides an insightful, comparative analysis of the foreign economic courses of the three post-Soviet republics. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above.

Tsygankov makes a strong case for a moderate constructivist approach to understanding foreign policy and, by implication, foreign policy more generally. His judicious tone throughout Pathways after Empire, the care of his research, and the generosity with which he treats alternative explanations all contribute to a convincing account.

Tsygankov's fine book is one of the few to link the politics of identity with economic policy, and to powerful effect. His treatment of east European national identity shines with careful empirical research as well as unusual nuggets of wisdom. Pathways after Empire offers valuable lessons from the post-Soviet world with great relevance for other post-imperial transitions.

From the Publisher

The book provides an insightful, comparative analysis of the foreign economic courses of the three post-Soviet republics. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above.

Choice

The book provides an insightful, comparative analysis of the foreign economic courses of the three post-Soviet republics. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above.

CHOICE

Tsygankov makes a strong case for a moderate constructivist approach to understanding foreign policy and, by implication, foreign policy more generally. His judicious tone throughout Pathways after Empire, the care of his research, and the generosity with which he treats alternative explanations all contribute to a convincing account.

American Political Science Association

Tsygankov makes a strong case for a moderate constructivist approach to understanding foreign policy and, by implication, foreign policy more generally. His judicious tone throughout Pathways After Empire, the care of his research, and the generosity with which he treats alternative explanations all contribute to a convincing account.

The American Political Science Association