Crossroads After Communism: Neoliberal Legacies in Eastern Europe and Parallel Paths in Latin America - Softcover

Binev, Binio S.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1009706659 ISBN 13: 9781009706650

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2026

Synopsis

Binio S. Binev's book offers an innovative interpretation of the relationship between economic liberalism and political illiberalism in contemporary Eastern Europe and Latin America. Focusing primarily on the former region, he emphasizes linkages between the legacies of early market reform and the adaptive strategies of subsequent populists. By integrating elements of path dependency and human agency, this book advances a distinctive explanation of illiberals' electoral viability and behavior in power. It uses both quantitative analysis of region-wide patterns and in-depth case studies informed by interviews from fieldwork in both regions to offer a comprehensive and nuanced perspective on the long-term effects of building capitalism, the political Left, and the persistent appeal of populist forces after the end of communism. It also identifies intriguing cross-regional parallels connecting early market reforms, societal reactions to neoliberalism, and illiberals' prospects of dominating politics and contesting democracy.

About this title

About the Author

Binio S. Binev is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Virginia Tech, where his work covers institutions, political economy, and cross-regional perspectives. He was educated in Bulgaria and the United States, studied languages in Germany, Mexico, and Kyrgyzstan, and has conducted research in Eastern Europe, South America, and Central Asia.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1009706659
• ISBN 13: 9781009706650
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 332