Introduction When President Ronald Reagan uttered the sound byte, "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear down this wall!" most Americans probably expected that the new Russia would follow humbly in the footsteps of the United States in adapting not only a free market economy but also a liberal democratic system of ...

One of the most overlooked and sometimes forgotten countries of Europe is the country of Portugal, formally known as the Portuguese republic. It is one of the world's most underestimated treasures, full of tradition and history. In the United States, Portuguese immigrants are a minority, unle...

In the past Russia has been a communist society. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the society strived to become more advanced and more "Western". After the collapse, the people had optimistic expectations. They believed that there would be a short transition period, a rise of a n...