Dilemmas of Justice in Eastern Europe's Democratic Transitions

Calhoun innovatively examines how the ideology of liberal democracy influences one of the most contentious and potentially traumatic and divisive issues facing countries transitioning from authoritarian regimes to democracy: how to confront the past violations of human rights. Competing views of liberal democracy frame debates about how to confront the past and in particular how to deal with the truth of systematic human rights violations. Democratic values may not determine the precise method of dealing with the past--whether through truth commissions, lustration, or tribunals--but the very process of debate inherent in democratic theory and practice has important implications for the perceived fairness of the result. These implications are examined through a comparison of transitional justice in East Germany, Poland, and Russia. The result is a provocative integration of democratic theory and comparative politics.

Noel Calhoun holds a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University. She previously taught comparative politics at the City University of New York and Moscow State University. Currently she works for a non-profit organization in Moscow, Russia.

Introduction to the Dilemma of Transitional Justice * The Politics of Transitional Justice * Liberal Democratic Ideology and Transitional Justice * Germany Comes to Terms with the Past, Again * Poland's Long Search for Justice * Russia's Buried Past * Liberal Democracy's Shortcomings...and Overriding Advantage * Appendices * Bibliography