Michael McFaul is now in residence as a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, and holds a joint appointment with the political science department at Stanford University.
McFaul -- known internationally known for his work on contemporary Russia and the former Soviet Union -- together with James Goldgeier of George Washington University, is completing a book on U.S.-Russian relations. He is also beginning a new project that examines American efforts to promote democracy abroad.
McFaul, who is returning to Hoover after spending three years as a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Moscow, was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Moscow Eurasia Foundation. In Washington, he consulted with numerous government agencies.
“Michael is rapidly becoming one of the top experts on the political economy of Russia, as well as U.S.-Russia relations,” said Hoover director John Raisian. “Furthermore, he is quickly becoming a knowledgeable commentator on other prominent foreign policy questions pertaining to situations outside Russia. We are extremely fortunate to have him back in residence and contributing scholarship at a highly prolific and proficient rate.”
His areas of expertise include international relations, Russian politics, and political and economic reform in postcommunist countries.
McFaul has published numerous books and articles on political and economic reform in the former Soviet Union including Russia’s Unfinished Revolution: Political Change from Gorbachev to Putin (Cornell University Press, 2001); Russia between Elections: What the 1995 Parliamentary Elections Really Mean (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1996); Understanding Russia’s 1993 Parliamentary Elections: Implications for U.S. Foreign Policy (Hoover Institution Press, 1994); Postcommunist Politics: Democratic Prospects in Russia and Eastern Europe (Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1993); with S. Markov, The Troubled Birth of Russian Democracy: Parties, Personalities, and Programs (Hoover Institution Press, 1993); and editor, with Tova Perlmutter, Privatization, Conversion, and Enterprise Reform in Russia (Westview Press, 1994).
He has also published numerous articles in journals, including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, International Security, International Organization, World Politics, Journal of Democracy, Communist and Post-Communist Studies, Post-Soviet Affairs, World Politics, and the New Republic.
McFaul also comments on current Russian and U.S.-Russian affairs, including articles in the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Moscow Times, New Republic, New York Times, San Jose Mercury News, Washington Post, Washington Times, and Weekly Standard, as well as television appearances on ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, NBC, and PBS.
During the 1995 parliamentary elections in Russia, he worked as senior consultant and commentator for CBS News. During the 1996 presidential election, 1999 parliamentary election, and 2000 presidential election in Russia, he served as a commentator and adviser for CNN. While in Moscow in 1994–95, he also coproduced and appeared in his own television program on democracy for the Russian Television Network.
He serves on the board of directors of the Eurasia Foundation, Firebird Fund, International Forum for Democratic Studies of the National Endowment for Democracy, Institute of Social and Political Studies, Center for Civil Society International, and Institute for Corporate Governance and Law and the editorial boards of Current History, Journal of Democracy, Demokratizatsiya, and Perspectives on European Politics and Society.
McFaul received a B.A. in international relations and Slavic languages and an M.S. in Russian and Eastern European studies from Stanford University. As a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, McFaul completed his Ph.D. in international relations in 1991.
