ABSTRACT
Elections in the newly democratized countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union are being exposed to particularly elose scrutiny. Given the interest, and also the difficulty, in disceming the relative success in the transition from dictatorship to democracy, elections serve as a major indicator of political choices, attitudes, and behavior; they reveal the outlines ofthe emerging political culture. Is there a commitment to democracy and to democratic procedures? Is there areaffirmation of prior political choices, or a vote for a change of direction? Have new political forces appeared, or has there been a resurgence of old forces, particularly the Communist Party? Do the clections reveal deep dissatisfactions, or latent tensions in society?
