ABSTRACT
Sociopolitical organizations independent of both state and party control numbered in the tens of thousands. Political parties too numerous to count were registering in city councils across the country. The growing pluralism that Soviet society displays at the grassroots had to become an accepted part of the restructuring process. The emergence of civil society is not only gradually changing the behavior of local government officials and legislators but also bringing the initial, rather limited conception of the rule of law into line with public expectations. In the absence of pertinent legislation, many independent political organizations have simply gone ahead and acted as if endowed with the right to do so, thereby forcing the hand of local legislatures. The efficacy of new legislation is contingent upon prior political reform in Soviet society, the reverse of what is commonly true in the United States and other “rule of law” societies, where legislation usually drives political transformation.
