The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 fueled hopes that Russia and the 14 newly independent republics would set themselves on paths toward democracy. Fourteen years later, those hopes are largely unfulfilled. Russian President Vladimir Putin is centralizing power in the Kremlin, while former communists lead authoritarian regimes in several of the republics, including some in strategically important Central Asia. But popular protests in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and, most dramatically, Ukraine have given new hope to democracy advocates. President Bush stressed U.S. support for democracy in his recent trip to the region, but critics say the administration is reducing funding for democracy projects. And many experts say the United States can exercise only limited influence on political events inside the former communist empire.

Kenneth Jost is Supreme Court editor, CQ Press; associate editor, CQ Researcher; and author of The Supreme Court Yearbook since the 1992-1993 edition.