"The essays appearing in the collection 'Transitions from Authoritarian rule'...will serve as reference points for students of redemocratization for years to come. Other essays will serve as classic case studies...the volumes deserve to be read time and again."--Nancy Bermeo, 'Comparative Politics'

Guillermo O'Donnell was a prominent Argentine political scientist who served as president of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) from 1988 to 1991, and was vice-president of the American Political Science Association (APSA) from 1999-2000. Philippe C. Schmitter is an Emeritus Professor of the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the European University Institute. Laurence Whitehead is a professor at Nuffield College at Oxford University.