Present at the transition : an inside look at the role of history, politics, and personalities in post-communist countries /
Three decades have passed since the Berlin Wall, providing an opportunity for a more up-to-date and definitive assessment of post-communist transition. With extensive data and numerous studies for nearly thirty countries, the book answers three questions. What is the outcome on economic, social and...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge ; New York :
Cambridge University Press,
2020.
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| Summary: | Three decades have passed since the Berlin Wall, providing an opportunity for a more up-to-date and definitive assessment of post-communist transition. With extensive data and numerous studies for nearly thirty countries, the book answers three questions. What is the outcome on economic, social and democratic dimensions? Why did this vary so much across the region, and how much is this due to reform strategies vs. initial conditions? Why did some choose rapid reforms, others gradual. Was it historical inertia, personalities of key leaders, societal commitment or foreign influence? Answering these questions after thirty years allows a more balanced assessment of the key debates on transition. Were radical or gradual reforms better, how did reforms affect living standards, income distribution and poverty, how did the process of democratization and market liberalization interact, what was the optimal way to privatize state assets and promote private, capitalist enterprise and what mechanisms were most effective to mitigate the costs of adjustment. |
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| Physical Description: | xviii, 320 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 297-307) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781108428941 1108428940 9781108451710 1108451713 |