ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the sub-national level of the regions of Russia that had led to the formation of a new concept in democratization studies, a multi-level approach to democratization. Democratization is cautiously used interchangeably with regime transition. The difference between democratization and regime transition became more pronounced with the fourth wave of regime transition, in other words, the post-Communist states. The notions of regime transition and democratization are not to be applied as synonyms with the ease as in the case of Southern European transition. Democratization and regime transition will imply the transition from a less democratic to a more democratic regime. The geographic proximity of the states and their regions to Brussels along with other factors was proved to be one of the most significant contributing factors to successful democratization. The chapter finally presents an organization of the book.
