Economies and Societies in Transition series – Serie

Since the demise of communism, Russia has become increasingly disparate. Some regions have grown in strength while others have been less successful. This book examines regional patterns of economic change in Russia by addressing questions such as:Is Russia a single economic area?Why are regional economic inequalities increasing?Are there significant regional differences in the economic regime? What influence do leaders have in their own regions, and on federal economic policies?To what extent do central policymakers affect regional outcomes?How are Russian regions affected by their new openness to foreign trade and investment?Based on research carried out by an international and interdisciplinary group of experts, this book analyses case studies from eight regions as well as testing hypotheses on data for the 77 main administrative regions. It will be of immense value to academics, those working for government and non-government agencies, and business people.

Ten years after the collapse of communism in Poland, the debate continues over the impact of the transition to a market economy. Whilst few actually say the socialist system could - or should - have been preserved, the path of change has been far from smooth, and has produced both winners and losers in the race to reform.This book assesses the prevailing attitudes of both support and disenchantment among Poles towards transition, in the light of their own experiences. In particular Janice Bell uses statistical indicators on economic well-being, regional voting results and public opinion survey data to analyse the socio-economic influences on patterns of voting behaviour, and finds unemployment to be a crucial denominator.Groundbreaking in its perspective, this study will appeal to all those concerned with the social implications of reform programmes in former communist countries.

Economic Institutions and Democratic Reformrigorously and systematically explores the political effects and consequences of economic reform in more than 20 post-communist countries. By using primary quantitative data and stringent statistical analyses, Ole Norgaard demonstrates that there is no universally applicable economic reform strategy and that popular democracy is often the foundation of a successful economy, rather than a powerful executive or president, as is popularly asserted. The book also shows that generalised models are not productive when studying the complexity of post-communist transformation. The author argues that the danger to democracy comes from the alienation of citizens and the collapse of public service and education systems instigated by individuals who, with few democratic credentials, capture the political playing field. These leaders have often been encouraged by Western governments who believe democracy can only be imposed on reluctant societies by newborn capitalist elites. This book will be essential and challenging reading for political scientists and economists as well as policymakers in NGOs, such as aid agencies and the institutions of the EU.

The implementation of a democratic order embedded in a market economy environment has proved immensely difficult. Furthermore, this process is subject to tremendous variety within Central and Eastern Europe. Ten years after the collapse of communism it was apparent that only Poland and Slovenia surpassed their 1989 levels of GDP. This book scrutinises the arrangements to enforce good governance in this area both by means of external help and domestic political leadership.From the popular assumption that transformation is a collective good, it follows that the problem of free-riding has to be faced. Consequently there is a danger that transformation may never be completed. This book empirically tests the relationship between economic performance and good governance focusing upon voluntary coercion as a means to prevent free-riding behaviour. The author examines the role of international organisations and discusses elite formation as an important element of good governance - something often ignored in the economic analysis of economic performance.Scholars and researchers of political and economic transformation in Central and Eastern Europe as well as those from the fields of political economy, international relations and political science will find this book enlightening.