Roy D. Laird is professor of political science and Soviet and East European studies at the University of Kansas.

• Preface -- An Empirical Study of the Politburo -- The Data Base -- The Qualitative Politburo Environment -- The Lenin-Stalin Years -- Lenin’s Politburo (1917–21) -- The Stalin Era (1922–52) -- A New Deal in Soviet Politics -- The Khrushchev Era (1953–63) -- The Brezhnev Era (1964–81) -- The Andropov-Chernenko Interregnum (1982–84) -- Gorbachev and the Future -- The Dawn of a Grobachev Era? (1985–??) -- A New "Time of Troubles" -- Appendix: Chronology of Politburo Members

Roy D. Laird is professor of political science and Soviet and East European studies at the University of Kansas.

• Preface -- An Empirical Study of the Politburo -- The Data Base -- The Qualitative Politburo Environment -- The Lenin-Stalin Years -- Lenin’s Politburo (1917–21) -- The Stalin Era (1922–52) -- A New Deal in Soviet Politics -- The Khrushchev Era (1953–63) -- The Brezhnev Era (1964–81) -- The Andropov-Chernenko Interregnum (1982–84) -- Gorbachev and the Future -- The Dawn of a Grobachev Era? (1985–??) -- A New "Time of Troubles" -- Appendix: Chronology of Politburo Members

Roy D. Laird is professor of political science and Soviet and East European studies at the University of Kansas.

• Preface -- An Empirical Study of the Politburo -- The Data Base -- The Qualitative Politburo Environment -- The Lenin-Stalin Years -- Lenin’s Politburo (1917–21) -- The Stalin Era (1922–52) -- A New Deal in Soviet Politics -- The Khrushchev Era (1953–63) -- The Brezhnev Era (1964–81) -- The Andropov-Chernenko Interregnum (1982–84) -- Gorbachev and the Future -- The Dawn of a Grobachev Era? (1985–??) -- A New "Time of Troubles" -- Appendix: Chronology of Politburo Members