Challenging dominant assumptions in international relations, this work shows that national political institutions change more frequently, and less dramatically, than is commonly thought and with important consequences for the political landscape.

Combining theory with solid empirical research-including archival evidence and interviews-the contributors explore the causes and consequences of institutional transformation in the United States, Western and Eastern Europe, Russia and the former Soviet Republics, and Cuba. Altered States highlights the dynamic and interactive relationship between national political institutions and reform-minded policy entrepreneurs, a perspective that will interest scholars and policy makers alike.