Democracy and the Market: Political and Economic Reforms in Eastern Europe and Latin AmericaThe quest for freedom from hunger and repression has triggered in recent years a worldwide movement toward political democracy and economic rationality. Never have so many people experimented with democratic institutions. At the same time, traditional strategies of economic development have collapsed in Eastern Europe and Latin America and entire economic systems are being transformed on both continents. What should we expect in the countries that venture on the paths to democracy and markets? Will these transitions result in democracies or in new dictatorships? What economic system, new or old, will emerge? This major book analyzes recent events in Eastern Europe and Latin America, focusing on transitions to democracy and market-oriented economic reforms. The author underscores the interdependence of political and economic transformations and draws on extensive local data as part of his analysis. A distinctive feature of the book is that it employs models derived from politics, economics, and game theory. This book will be of particular interest to scholars and graduate students in political science and sociology. |
Contents
Democracy | 10 |
How are outcomes enforced under democracy? | 15 |
Transitions to democracy | 37 |
Why do outcomes appear uncertain? | 40 |
Transitions to democracy | 51 |
Liberalization | 54 |
Democratization | 66 |
Contestation | 88 |
Capitalism and socialism | 105 |
What can be reformed? | 122 |
Could we feed everyone? | 133 |
The political dynamics of economic reform | 136 |
Transitional costs of reforms | 139 |
a model | 162 |
Political consequences of economic reforms | 180 |
Conclusions | 188 |
Conclusions | 94 |
Approaches to the study of transitions | 95 |
Capitalism and socialism | 100 |
Methodological preliminaries | 101 |
References | 193 |
| 206 | |
| 209 | |
Other editions - View all
Democracy and the Market: Political and Economic Reforms in Eastern Europe ... Adam Przeworski No preview available - 1991 |
Common terms and phrases
actors allocation American ancien régime Argentina argument assumptions authoritarian regime autonomous Balcerowicz plan blueprint bourgeoisie Brazil bureaucracy capitalism capitalist central choice civil society civilian control Communist competition compliance conflicts constitution consumption cooperative costs Czechoslovakia decentralized democratic democratic institutions democratic process dictatorship distribution East Germany Eastern Europe economic systems effect elections electoral Elster equilibrium ex ante ex post expect feasibility firms game theory groups Hardliners Hence Hungary income individuals inflation institutional framework interests JON ELSTER labor Latin America Liberalizers market socialism ment military Moderates organized outcomes pacts particular party percent planner Poland Polish political forces politicians preferences production question radical strategy rational reason reforms repression result role rules sector situation social choice theory socialist Soviet Union status quo structure theory tion transformation transitions to democracy turn vote voters wage welfare workers
Popular passages
Page 7 - Europe between 1848 and 1891 and that had animated social movements all over the world since then — failed, in the East and in the West. True, the values of political democracy and of social justice continue to guide social democrats such as myself, but social democracy is a program to mitigate the effects of private ownership and market allocation, not an alternative project of society.