In The Media
Martha Brill Olcott
Book
Kazakhstan: Unfulfilled Promise
At the outset of independence 10 years ago, it appeared that democracy was beginning to take hold in Kazakhstan. A decade later, economic reform is mired in widespread corruption and a regime that flirted with democracy is now laying the foundation for family-based, authoritarian rule.
Published on Feb 15, 2002
Source: Washington
Advance Praise
"This detailed but accessible work will be the definitive work on the newly independent state of Kazakhstan."
—CHOICE
[Olcott]...is one of the most active and sought-after American scholars working on Central Asia."
—Middle East Policy
"[Olcott]...knows more about Kazakhstan than anyone else in the West."
—The New York Review of Books
"...not only shares the lucid insights and depth of a seasoned observer, it greatly enriches the literature on post-Soviet transitions."
—Foreign Affairs
"For years anyone interested in Kazakhstan has had no trouble picking the very best book on the subject: The Kazakhs by Martha Olcott. Now, at last, there's a real rival: shrewd and sensitive to the deep problems of post-Soviet politics, and—of course!—by Martha Olcott."
—Stephen Sestanovich, former Ambassador at Large and Special Advisor to the Secretary of State
"Olcott gives us the best up-to-date account of a transition to modernity that appears to have lost its way."
—Ronald Grigor Suny, University of Chicago
"A bible for understanding the country, written by a preeminent scholar."
—William Courtney, former Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Georgia
About the Author
Martha Brill Olcott
Former Senior Associate, Russia and Eurasia Program and, Co-director, al-Farabi Carnegie Program on Central Asia
Olcott is professor emerita at Colgate University, having taught political science there from 1974 to 2002. Prior to her work at the endowment, Olcott served as a special consultant to former secretary of state Lawrence Eagleburger.
- After Crimea: Will Kazakhstan be Next in Putin’s Reintegration Project?
- China’s Unmatched Influence in Central AsiaArticle
Martha Brill Olcott
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Ten Years After Karimov’s Death, How Much Has Uzbekistan Really Changed?Commentary
In the tenth year of his presidency, President Mirziyoyev’s system is becoming even more personalized than that of his predecessor Karimov.
Galiya Ibragimova
- As It Turns 25, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Reflects the New World OrderCommentary
With the growth in points of friction between the great powers, organizations like the SCO will continue to play a role in the strategic adaptation of the smaller powers caught between them.
Temur Umarov
- Is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Performance Art or Meaningful Collaboration?Commentary
Xi, Putin, and other regional leaders are back-slapping in Bishkek, but the SCO has yet to answer the most serious questions about continental Asia's economic future.
Evan A. Feigenbaum
- As a Former Defense Minister Revolts in Ukraine, Is Zelensky’s System Fracturing?Commentary
The greater threat to Zelensky comes not from Fedorov alone, but from the convergence between the former defense minister’s political campaign and the anti-corruption investigations moving ever closer to the presidential administration.
Balázs Jarábik
- Fedorov’s Challenge to Zelensky Could Upend Ukrainian PoliticsCommentary
With his public call for new elections in Ukraine, ex-defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov has opened Pandora’s box.
Konstantin Skorkin
