A wide-ranging overview of the processes of democratization in post-Communist Europe, placing the transitions in these states within a broad European and global context. The authors introduce the concepts and theories of democracy and then look at the emerging politics of the new democracies in terms of: the formation of civil society; economic restructuring; the mapping of interest representation; the evolution of party systems and electoral competition; and elite/citizen relationships. The post-Communist transitions are then set in a longer-term, global, comparative perspective with previously democratized nations, such as those in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Finally, the politics of European Union accession are considered.