Bourgeoisie, State and Democracy Russia, Britain, France, Germany and the USA

One of the key questions in social science is the role of the bourgeoisie in creating a democracy. An important issue in contemporary international politics is the trajectory of the current Russian political system. This book brings these questions together by exploring the role played by the bourgeoisie in shaping political outcomes in five countries: contemporary Russia, industrial revolution Britain, France, Germany and the USA. Its main focus is the way the different new business classes have been integrated into the political system, and the implications this had for the political trajectories of the respective countries. The contemporary Russian experience is thrown into relief by comparison with the national experiences of the other four countries, enabling conclusions to be drawn about both the general question of the historic role of this class in democratization and the more specific question of its role in Russia today.

Graeme Gill is Professor of Government and Public Administration and an ARC Australian Professorial Fellow at The University of Sydney. Prior to his appointment at Sydney, he held teaching positions at Monash University and The University of Tasmania. He has been a long-time student of Soviet and Russian politics, but has also published on democratisation and the development of the state. He has been a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia since 1994.