While Russsia's central institutions and practice hold the West's attention in assessing the transition to democracy, subnational democratization will largely shape Russians' views of their new government, willingness to participate in it, and trust in its ability to deliver. Regional and local governments not only are nearer to ordinary citizens but have, under Russia's federated constitution, highly important economic and social functions.

Regional Russia in Transition: Studies from Yaroslavl' examines democracy in a central region of Russia, a largely industrialized heartland off the beaten bath from Moscow and Leningrad. Yarslavl' has been the subject of a series of studies since 1990 by a group of senior U.S. Russianists.

Contributors to this book include: Jeffrey W. Hahn, Alexander Khodnev, Boris Sergeyev, Daniel Satinsky, Beth Mithneck, Susan Goodrich Lehmann, Blair A. Ruble.

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Jeffrey W. Hahn is a Professor of political science at Villanova University.