The Soviet political executive, 1917-1986, T.H.Rigby; putting clients in place - the role of patronage in co-optation into the Soviet leadership, John H.Miller; political processes and generational change, Robert V.Daniels; policy outside and politics inside, Marie Mendras; power and policy in a time of leadership transition (January 1982-February 1988), Archie Brown.

The central leadership of the Soviet political system in Moscow is analyzed by a group of Western political researchers. The text covers the entire Soviet period from 1917 to the present day, but special emphasis is placed on the post-Stalin years and new developments of the 1980s.