ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to explain the differing degrees of power that the presidents of Ukraine and Russia were able to accumulate at the expense of their respective legislatures, despite the considerable number of similarities that initially existed between the two countries. The chapter discusses how a combination of the ideological orientations of the parliaments and presidents coupled with varying degrees of public support allowed for development along two distinct paths in these two countries. The chapter explores how issues of corruption and clientelism have contributed to both successes and failures in legislative capacity building. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how the militarization of power and the influence of International Organizations have contributed to building the institutional capacities of both legislatures and the abilities of these legislatures to provide effective checks on executives.
