Transition And Growth In Post Communist Countries The Ten Year Experience

In October 1999, economists, World Bank and IMF officials, international bankers, and other architects of post-Communist economic policies gathered in Warsaw to congratulate themselves on the success of the economic plans they engineered a decade before. Consisting of papers and discussions from that conference, this book integrates theoretical and empirical analyses of the economic transition in Central and Eastern Europe. It considers factors like economic growth, stabilization, and the reformation of social safety nets. c. Book News Inc.

"This exceptionally strong collection is the best single book yet to appear on the reform process in the postsocialist economies. Although it will primarily interest economists, it is also accessible to students of political science." - P. Rutland, Choice Transition and Growth in Post-Communist Countries documents the first ten years of economic transition in Central and Eastern Europe. It examines economic growth, stabilization policies and the reformation of social safety nets in the formerly communist countries. The analysis is presented by prominent architects of the economic transition who have been directly involved in both designing and implementing the programme of economic reforms. Using theoretical and empirical analyses the volume concludes that the countries which have successfully implemented major programmes of macroeconomic stabilization and institutional restructuring have experienced a much faster growth of national income and wealth than the non-reformers. This authoritative volume will be compelling reading to those interested in emerging market economies, the economics of transition, and international political economy. Researchers, lecturers and students of international macroeconomics and international political relations will also find the book useful. Contents: Preface Part I: Uneven Reforms - Unbalanced Growth Part II: Financial Openness and Approaches to Monetary Integration Part III: Reforming Social Safety Nets Part IV: Political Challenges of Transition Index Contributors: N. Barr, L. Bokros, A. Bratkowski, M. Dabrowski, M. Dmitriev, S. Fischer, S. Golinowska, S. Gomulka, D. Gros, D. Lipton, L.T. Orlowski, J. Rostowski, M. Rutowski, R. Sahay, V. Schmähl, M. Suhrcke, A.M. Warner, S. Wellisz.

In October 1999, economists, World Bank and IMF officials, international bankers, and other architects of post-Communist economic policies gathered in Warsaw to congratulate themselves on the success of the economic plans they engineered a decade before. Consisting of papers and discussions from that conference, this book integrates theoretical and empirical analyses of the economic transition in Central and Eastern Europe. It considers factors like economic growth, stabilization, and the reformation of social safety nets. c. Book News Inc.

The post-communist transition in Europe and the former Soviet Union is one of the most important transformations in modern history. Changes were exceptionally large and it was not only political and economic systems which were affected: there were changes in social structures, new territorial boundaries in some cases had to be established and new institutions had to be constructed. Moreover, market-oriented reforms were introduced under democratic regimes. Leszek Balcerowicz, President of the National Bank of Poland and former Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, one of the leading reformers in eastern Europe, discusses the varying outcomes of transitions in different countries, showing that it was policies, more than initial conditions, which produced the differences. He argues that the larger the scope of market-oriented reforms the better the performance in terms of growth, low inflation and environmental improvement. The presence of competent and determined reformers has also been a crucial factor in successful transformations.

This interdisciplinary study offers a comprehensive analysis of the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Providing full historical context and drawing on a wide range of literature, this book explores the continuous economic and social transformation of the post-socialist world. While the future is yet to be determined, understanding the present phase of transformation is critical. The book’s core exploration evolves along three pivots of competitive economic structure, institutional change, and social welfare. The main elements include analysis of the emergence of the socialist economic model; its adaptations through the twentieth century; discussion of the 1990s market transition reforms; post-2008 crisis development; and the social and economic diversity in the region today. With an appreciation for country specifics, the book also considers the urgent problems of social policy, poverty, income inequality, and labor migration. Transition Economies will aid students, researchers and policy makers working on the problems of comparative economics, economic development, economic history, economic systems transition, international political economy, as well as specialists in post-Soviet and Central and Eastern European regional studies.

World Bank Technical Paper No. 394. Joint Forest Management (JFM) has emerged as an important intervention in the management of Indias forest resources. This report sets out an analytical method for examining the costs and benefits of JFM arrangements. Two pilot case studies in which the method was used demonstrate interesting outcomes regarding incentives for various groups to participate. The main objective of this study is to develop a better understanding of the incentives for communities to participate in JFM.

The past 25 years have seen a dramatic transformation in Europe’s former communist countries, resulting in their reintegration with the global economy, and, in most cases, major improvements in living standards. But the task of building full market economies has been difficult and protracted. Liberalization of trade and prices came quickly, but institutional reforms—such as governance reform, competition policy, privatization and enterprise restructuring—often faced opposition from vested interests. The results of the first years of transition were uneven. All countries suffered high inflation and major recessions as prices were freed and old economic linkages broke down. But the scale of output losses and the time taken for growth to return and inflation to be brought under control varied widely. Initial conditions and external factors played a role, but policies were critical too. Countries that undertook more front-loaded and bold reforms were rewarded with faster recovery and income convergence. Others were more vulnerable to the crises that swept the region in the wake of the 1997 Asia crisis.

It has long been assumed that the historical legacy of Soviet Communism would have an important effect on post-communist states. However, prior research has focused primarily on the institutional legacy of communism. Communism's Shadow instead turns the focus to the individuals who inhabit post-communist countries, presenting a rigorous assessment of the legacy of communism on political attitudes. Post-communist citizens hold political, economic, and social opinions that consistently differ from individuals in other countries. Grigore Pop-Eleches and Joshua Tucker introduce two distinct frameworks to explain these differences, the first of which focuses on the effects of living in a post-communist country, and the second on living through communism. Drawing on large-scale research encompassing post-communist states and other countries around the globe, the authors demonstrate that living through communism has a clear, consistent influence on why citizens in post-communist countries are, on average, less supportive of democracy and markets and more supportive of state-provided social welfare. The longer citizens have lived through communism, especially as adults, the greater their support for beliefs associated with communist ideology—the one exception being opinions regarding gender equality. A thorough and nuanced examination of communist legacies' lasting influence on public opinion, Communism's Shadow highlights the ways in which political beliefs can outlast institutional regimes.

In the last three decades since the fall of the Berlin Wall, there has been a vast amount of study looking at transforming the planned economy to a market economy from both theoretical and empirical aspects. This book provides an overview and insight into transition economies in the recent decades and looks at key economics topics from the so-called “transition strategy debate” to environmental reform. The book also includes an analytical review and meta-analysis of the existing literature. By integrating theoretical discussions and synthesizing empirical findings in a systematic manner, this book may help to enlighten the debate on the timing, speed, and policy sequence of economic transition. The book will particularly appeal to researchers, policy makers, other practitioners, and under- and post-graduate students who are interested in transition economies in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Southeast Asia, and China. It aims to be read as an advanced reader.