Present at the Transition: An Inside Look at the Role of History, Politics, and Personalities in Post-Communist Countries
Cambridge University Press, 5/28/2020
EAN 9781108428941, ISBN10: 1108428940
Hardcover, 354 pages, 23 x 15.9 x 2.3 cm
Language: English
Nearly thirty years after the fall of the Soviet Union, debates over paths to market liberalization have produced numerous studies across the social sciences. This groundbreaking work from Oleh Havrylyshyn offers a new perspective. Havrylyshyn, a former official in the post-independence Ukrainian government, provides a unique, primary source account of the people and problems at the heart of economic transitions. Grounded in three decades of data, along with experiential research gleaned from nearly thirty countries, this book contains the most up-to-date assessment of economic transitions in post-communist regions. It critically examines questions of gradual versus radical reforms, the relationship between democracy and market liberalization, and how history, individual personalities, and foreign influence determined political choices. Thorough research and accessible style make this work a valuable resource for students and specialists of economics, political science, and history as well as readers generally interested in international studies, government, and business.
Introduction
Part I. The Diverse Paths Taken in Transition
1. Review of key debates at the beginning
2. Reforms and results of transition
first some facts
Part II. Choice of Strategy
Was it History? Politics? Or People?
3. Historical legacies
hysteresis vs critical juncture
4. Reform commitment of political leaders and populations
5. The role of technocrats
6. External incentives and pressures
Part III. Domestic Vested Interests and Reforms
7. The old guard
politicians, technocrats, and red directors
8. Formation of the oligarchs
9. Corruption
pervasive, persistent and pernicious
Part IV. Outcomes and Prospects
11. The transition tapestry
wefts of history, warps-at choice
12. Quo vadis post-communa?
an epilogue.