The development of civil society has varied greatly across the former Soviet Union. The Baltic states have achieved a high level of integration with the West and European Union membership, while some regions in Russia lag far behind. Now, for the first time, there is a comparative study of civil society and democratization in different regions across post-Soviet national borders. Post-Soviet Civil Society offers unique data on developments in Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Applying an innovative analytical framework derived from theories of democratization, civil society, social movements and transnational relations, the researcher was able to formulate broader comparisons and generalizations without neglecting the specific post- Soviet context. Providing a systematic comparison across civil society sectors as well as regions, this book includes sections on NGOs, the relationship between state and civil society, and transnationalization. Quantitative survey data is combined with qualitative interviews and case study research to both confirm previous findings about the weakness of post-communist civil society and to qualify previous research in a number of ways. Post-Soviet Civil Society will be of interest not only to scholars and students of Russian and East European politics, but also to those with a general interest in democratization and civil society.