Transition TheoriesDifferent theories evaluating transition have been put forward by researchers in the field explaining the outcome of transitions. Two major sets of theories have developed over time; bottom-up and top-down approaches. Bunce (2003) argues that mass mobilization plays a key role in regime outcomes among post-communist states. Georgia and Ukraine illustrate cases where popular mobilization has had an impact on regime structure. We can see that civil society and mass mobilization are an essential factor in determining the stability of an authoritarian regime, as events in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan show. Way (2008) argues that the top-down structural factor of the regime is a decisive factor in whether or not an authoritarian regime remains in power. This means that the strength of the state coercion/security apparatus is a vital factor because it can suppress mass mobilization that could threaten the resilience of the regime. According to Bunce and Wolchik (2006), the wave of color revolutions that spread across the post-communist region spread across states and mass mobilization occurred in a number of states. They argue that this phenomenon has not spread to certain states due to the absence or very small number of national actors supporting the cause and the rapid authoritarian reactions of state regimes such as Kazakhstan, where stock exchanges students were increased to avoid a similar situation in Kazakhstan (Bunce and Wolchik, 2006). They further argue that relations with other power actors in the international sphere and the economic self-sufficiency of the state are in question. Jones Luong (2002) highlights the impact of the uncertainty of negotiations and the transfer of power from the ...... middle of article ...... previously mentioned, affect the density of ties between the West and the state in question. As noted in the previous section, Kazakhstan has favored Russia in terms of trade and political alignment. This has its roots in the Soviet legacy and the reluctance towards independence that Kazakhstan experienced after the dissolution of the Union (Gill, 2002). The political line adopted was therefore to cherish the Soviet heritage and relations with Russia without too much uncertainty. This has led to weak ties with the West, meaning that ties remain weak and therefore influence in favor of democratization. What the link looks like depends to a large extent on the national structures that enable or disable the link with the West; These factors will be discussed in more depth in the section on the inner dimension. stable authoritarian regime in Turkmenistan.