Accidental occidental : economics and culture of transition in Mitteleuropa, the Baltic, and the Balkan Area / Lajos Bokros.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bokros, Lajos.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Europe, Eastern--Economic policy--1989-.

Europe, Eastern.

Eastern Europe.

Economic policy.

Europe, Eastern--Economic conditions--1989-.

Economic conditions.

Post-communism--Europe, Eastern.

Post-communism.

Physical Description:

xii, 192 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Buapest, Hungary ; New York : Central European University Press, [2013]

Summary:

In the contemporary context this book can be considered as an untimely but salient defense of market capitalism and liberal democracy. Celebrating transition today is tantamount to upholding the decidedly superior values and achievements of a market system over a non-market one and that of a democratic system over a non-democratic one. It is definitely not to deny the failures, shortcomings or imperfections of market economy and democracy. Neither do I take the survival of market capitalism and liberal democracy for granted. On the contrary, by highlighting the glorious and painful process of transition and making an attempt to understand its economics and culture, I wish to contribute to the once again badly needed theoretical (academic) and practical (political) defense of Western civilization.

Contents:

1 Communism as an Economic and Societal System in the Twentieth Century9

1.1 The theoretical model of the command economy and society 9

1.2 The historical evolution of Soviet communism 18

1.3 Three basic models of communism in Central and Eastern Europe 31

2 Transition to Market and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe 57

2.1 The matrix of structural reforms in transition 57

2.2 Business sector liberalization 59

2.3 Macroeconomic stabilization 70

2.4 Competitive privatization 80

2.5 Public utility and financial sector privatization 94

2.6 Restructuring public utilities and financial institutions 102

2.7 Regulation and supervision of public utilities and financial institutions 113

2.8 Public finance and administration 127

2.9 Subsovereign governments 141

2.10 Legal and judicial reform 154

2.11 Matrix reloaded 159

3 Transition for the Twenty-First Century 167.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [177]-188) and index.

ISBN:

9786155225246

6155225249

OCLC:

818327241