ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses theories of regime outcomes – why some countries became democratic and others authoritarian. It describes the key facts about democracy which include the dramatic and unpredicted shift in politics in 1989 and the subsequent "return to diversity". The chapter explains the fall of communism where it discusses both the standard account which emphasises a loss of legitimacy and the power of civil society as well as more complete theories that outline the micro-mechanisms of collapse and put weight on tipping points and organisational bank runs. It addresses allegations that scholarship on the region failed for not being able to predict the collapse. The chapter focuses on the more democratic countries of East Central Europe – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia, which are widely seen as the democratic leaders of the region. Michael McFaul argues that the best path is for the opposition to dominate and dictate a democratic outcome along with radical economic reforms.
