"Some would say that Russia is doomed by its history and political culture to a lengthy period of semi-authoritarianism. In Russia's Road to Deeper Democracy, Tom Bjorkman presents evidence that this assessment is too pessimistic and underestimates the forces for political change that lie beneath the surface of what seems to be an era of political somnolence. Bjorkman argues that it is not the weight of history or the antidemocratic attitudes of the Russian population that restrain Russia from making progress toward stronger democratic institutions, but specific leadership policies and elements of Russia's political elite who have a self-interest in maintaining the status quo." "Putin and other senior leaders' support for proposals for democratic change now under discussion in Russia can create the kind of competitive political marketplace that the country needs to avoid political stagnation and begin to build the strong and prosperous state that all Russians want. America exerts a large influence on Russia's debate about its political future: by demonstrating that Russia's progress toward a stronger democratic order matters to the United States and by treating Russia as a part of the West, the United States can buttress internal forces pushing for a deeper Russian democracy."--Jacket.