The Moulding of Ukraine
The Constitutional Politics of State Formation
Kataryna Wolczuk, Centre for Russian and East
European Studies,
University of Birmingham
With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, a number
of new states were created that had little or no claim
to any previous existence. Ukraine is one of the countries
that faced not only political, social and economic transformation,
but also state formation and the redefinition of national
identity. This book uses Ukraine as a case study in
trying to trace the key moments of decision making in
the course of creating a new state while shedding the
legacies of "Soviet-type" statehood.
The Moulding of Ukraine offers a systematic
examination of competing ideological visions of statehood
and discusses them against the backdrop of historical
traditions in Ukraine. This well-documented and lucidly
written book is the only coherent account available
in English of the process of constitutional reform,
offering an insight into post-Soviet Ukrainian politics.
A useful addition to university course reading lists
in Ukrainian studies, post-Soviet studies, post-communist
democratization, comparative constitutionalism, state-building
and institutional design.
Contents
Introduction I. Constitutions and statehood:
A conceptual framework II. The tradition of statehood
in Ukraine III. Independence without a vision,
constitution making 1990-91 IV. Simulated reforms:
Ukraine under Kravchuk's presidency V. How to
organize the State: constitutional debates after the
1994 elections VI. The passage of the constitution:
process, actors and strategies VII. Ukraine as
a nation-state: the conceptions of statehood in the
1996 constitutions VIII. Ukraine under the new
constitution: the anatomy of crisis
"By focusing on the statebuilding dimensions, this
work helps to explain various aspects of the Ukrainian
constitutional process that otherwise might be difficult
to understand. The wealth of primary data, the use of
Ukrainian language sources and the careful piecing together
of the story combine to make this the most thorougly
researched study of post-independence Ukrainian politics.
It will undoubtedly become a standard reference source
for other authors."
- Paul J. D'Anieri, Associate Dean of International
Programs, University of Kansas
"Wolczuk makes two highly convincing points on
the national question and on state building that should
be reflected in literature on the postcommunist transition.
First, the national question was the most important
obstacle in adopting the constitution. Second, the process
of adopting the constitution in a new state such as
Ukraine was very different from the process in established
postcommunist and western states. Constitutionalism
was a central element of state building in post-Soviet
Ukraine." - Slavic Review
2001
340 pages
ISBN 978-963-9241-24-4 cloth $49.95 / €42.95 / £29.95
ISBN 978-963-9241-25-1 paperback $24.95 / €19.95 /
£13.95
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