{"product_id":"2026100007517-secondhand-contemporary-soviet-government","title":"Contemporary Soviet Government","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the height of the Cold War, understanding the machinery of Soviet power was not merely an academic exercise — it was a political necessity. Contemporary Soviet Government by L.G. Churchward presents a rigorous and comprehensive analysis of the USSR's governmental structures, from the commanding heights of the Communist Party to the intricate workings of local soviets and state bureaucracies. Churchward details the formal and informal mechanisms through which the Soviet state exercised authority, illuminating the relationship between party ideology and administrative practice with admirable precision. This fully revised second edition incorporates updated analysis to reflect the evolving political landscape of the Brezhnev era, making it an indispensable resource for students and scholars of comparative politics.\n\nChurchward's work stands as a landmark contribution to the study of Soviet politics, distinguished by its systematic approach and refusal to reduce a complex political organism to Cold War caricature. Drawing on Soviet primary sources and Western scholarship alike, he argues that the USSR's governmental system, while authoritarian in character, possessed its own internal logic and institutional coherence. The text remains a vital key for unlocking the contradictions and capabilities of a superpower that shaped the twentieth century — and leaves the reader questioning just how well any outsider can truly understand the state from within.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49131005477083,"sku":"2026100007517-SECONDHAND","price":15.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/1cc1a996-c337-4a3e-bbe5-ff9ff70b2b16.png?v=1786594495","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026100007517-secondhand-contemporary-soviet-government","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}