Cover -- Half-title -- Series-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Tables and Figures -- Tables -- Figures -- Note on Transliteration -- Acronyms -- Acknowledgments -- 1 The Continuity of Change -- Electoral Systems -- Institutional Origin and Change -- and Regime Transition -- The Establishment of Electoral Systems in Central Asia: Populist, Centralist, and Dualistic -- Perceptions of Power: Strategic Bargaining and Institutional Design -- The Power of Perceptions: Theoretical Contributions -- Methodological Considerations -- Why Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan? -- Why Interviews and How Were They Conducted? -- Why Focus on Political Elites? -- A Road Map -- 2 Explaining Institutional Design in Transitional States -- Explaining Institutional Design in Transitional States: A Dynamic Approach -- Transitional Bargaining Game -- Implications of a Dynamic Approach: Beyond Structure Versus Agency -- 3 Sources of Continuity -- Potential Social Bases for Identity Formation and Mobilization in Central Asia -- The Rise of Regionalism in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan -- Explaining Identity Formation and Ethnic Mobilization -- The Soviet Legacy and the Rise of Regionalism in Central Asia -- Why Regionalism? Why Not Tribalism, Islamic Fundamentalism, and Nationalism? -- The Soviet Legacy and Regional Cleavages in Kyrgyzstan -- The Soviet Legacy and Regional Cleavages in Uzbekistan -- The Soviet Legacy and Regional Cleavages in Kazakhstan -- Regionalism, Political Stability, and Institutional Continuity -- 4 Sources of Change -- The Nature of Transitions: General Features and Unique Circumstances -- The Transitional Context in Kyrgyzstan -- Features of the Political Transition -- Features of the Economic Transition -- International Role -- State-Building Orientation -- The Transitional Context in Uzbekistan.

Features of the Political Transition -- Features of the Economic Transition -- International Role -- State-Building Orientation -- The Transitional Context in Kazakhstan -- Features of the Political Transition -- Features of the Economic Transition -- International Role -- State-Building Orientation -- Agency and the Transition: Contingent Choice and Perceptions of Power -- 5 Establishing an Electoral System in Kyrgyzstan -- Setting Up the Game: Actors, Preferences, and Underlying Power Asymmetries -- Playing the Game: Perceptions and Strategies -- Nomination of Candidates -- Composition and Jurisdiction of the Electoral Commissions -- Determination of Seats -- The Structure of Parliament -- Institutional Outcomes: Distributional "Winners" and "Losers" -- Evaluating the Game: The Power of Perceptions -- 6 Establishing an Electoral System in Uzbekistan -- Setting Up the Game: Actors, Preferences, and Underlying Power Asymmetries -- Playing the Game: Perceptions and Strategies -- Nomination of Candidates for Election to Parliament -- Selection and Jurisdiction of Central and District Electoral Commissions -- Determination of Seats -- The Structure of Parliament -- Outcomes: Institutional "Winners" and "Losers" -- Evaluating the Game: The Power of Perceptions -- 7 Establishing an Electoral System in Kazakhstan -- Setting Up the Game: Actors, Preferences, and Underlying Power Asymmetries -- Playing the Game: Perceptions and Strategies -- Nomination of Candidates for Election to Parliament -- Selection and Jurisdiction of Central and District Electoral Commissions -- Determination of Seats -- The Structure of Parliament -- Outcomes: Institutional "Winners" and "Losers" -- Evaluating the Game: The Power of Perceptions -- 8 Institutional Change through Continuity -- Competing Approaches and Alternative Explanations -- Structural Approaches.

Agency-Based Approaches -- Explaining the Establishment of Electoral Systems in Central Asia -- Explaining Patterns of Regime Change in Central Asia -- Perceptions of Power Shifts, Institutional Change, and Prospects for Democracy -- Institutional Legacies, Power Asymmetries, and Continuity versus Change -- Elite Bargaining, Institutional Design, and Regime Change -- "Pacted Transitions" versus "Pacted Stability" -- Appendix I -- Appendix II -- Sources for Appendix II -- References -- English Language Sources -- Foreign Language Sources (Russian, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh) -- Index.