This book examines the development of the Ukrainian parliament - the Verkhovna Rada - from before Ukraine's independence in 1991 to the present. It shows how the parliament transformed itself from a provincial republican Soviet to the national legislature of a sovereign state and from a nominal, symbolic body to a genuine legislative and representative institution. It discusses the key role of parliament in the wider state-building process and examines the evolution of political factions and the committee system in the parliament.

When Ukraine became independent in 1991, it inherited an underdeveloped set of state institutions with which to manage its transformation to statehood. The task of establishing a legal base for the operation of the new polity was the responsibility of the parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, an institution itself undergoing colossal upheaval. From 1991, it was transformed from a provincial republican Soviet into the national legislature of a sovereign state and from a nominal, symbolic body into a genuine legislative and representative institution. Therefore, the process of building parliament as an institution has been integral to and part of the legislature's engagement in the wider state-building process. This book considers the Rada's development as an essential component of state-building in Ukraine. It examines internal institutional change by focusing on the emergence of party caucuses and transformation of standing committees, and explores the impact of these changes on the legislative process. This is the first in-depth study of Ukraine's parliament and is based on extensive fieldwork inside the Rada. As such, it offers not only an intimate case study of how institutions change