Letter to a young political science colleague in Russia

... broad-based support outside the ruling elites. Yet there are indications that such a support base may be slowly beginning to emerge. Whatever the solution, it will have to involve more than just talking about exalted principles, like democracy, freedom, and human rights--important as these may be. The fate of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine is evidence of this. President Obama’s current problems also show how difficult it is to bring about the kind of “change that matters” which he promised,...