This analysis focuses on the period from the 25th CPSU Congress in 1976 through the first four years of the Gorbachev leadership. Dissenting from the current trend of academic research which shows democratization of the Soviet political system, Mitchell argues that Gorbachev has followed the pattern of Soviet leaders who have traditionally consolidated power by displacing old elites, forging new policies and ideological approaches. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR