From Transition To Market

In response to mounting debt crises and macroeconomic instability in the 1980s, many countries in the developing world adopted neoliberal policies promoting the unfettered play of market forces and deregulation of the economy and attempted large-scale structural adjustment, including the privatization of public-sector industries. How much influence did various societal groups have on this transition to a market economy, and what explains the variances in interest-group influence across countries? In this book, Agnieszka Paczyńska explores these questions by studying the role of organized labor in the transition process in four countries in different regions—the Czech Republic and Poland in eastern Europe, Egypt in the Middle East, and Mexico in Latin America. In Egypt and Poland, she shows, labor had substantial influence on the process, whereas in the Czech Republic and Mexico it did not. Her explanation highlights the complex relationship between institutional structures and the “critical junctures” provided by economic crises, revealing that the ability of groups like organized labor to wield influence on reform efforts depends to a great extent on not only their current resources (such as financial autonomy and legal prerogatives) but also the historical legacies of their past ties to the state. This new edition features an epilogue that analyzes the role of organized labor uprisings in 2011, the protests in Egypt, the overthrow of Mubarak, and the post-Mubarak regime.

This paper presents evidence on the behavior of output and inflation in the transition economies during 1992–95. A regression analysis explores the differences in output performance across the transition economies during this period. The paper then engages in a numerical, somewhat speculative, exercise to assess the long-run growth potential of the transition economies. It concludes that it should take about 20 years for the faster reformers to reach current OECD per capita levels.

This book explains why Egypt is lagging behind other countries in the Mediterranean region in reforming its economy.

This collection of articles examines the development of one of the most significant economic transformations ever undertaken covering a wide range of countries and economic sectors

This clear and accessible text explores Vietnam's successful transition from neo-Stalinist central planning to a market economy—\"Vietnamese style.\" After describing the north Vietnamese system prior to 1975 and its colonial and precolonial antecedents, the authors uncover the mechanisms of that changeover. They contend that the Vietnamese transition was largely bottom-up in character and that it evolved over a long enough period for the country's political economy to adjust. This explains in part the rapid shift to a high-growth, externally oriented development path in the early 1990s, despite the loss of Soviet aid and the lack of significant Western substitutes until 1992-1993. Based upon extensive incountry experience, a wealth of primary materials, and wide comparative knowledge of development issues, the book challenges many preconceived notions, both about Vietnam and about the general nature of transition processes.

"Substantially revised and updated, this new edition of a highly acclaimed text is both a guide and a critical analysis. Benefiting from the additional insights gained through new data and new developments, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the transition to the market economy taking place in Russia and Eastern Europe. The second edition also has expanded coverage of the enlargement of the European Union to the East and its increasing influence on the reintegration of this region into the world economy." "The book provides a contemporary comparative approach to the process of transformation and supplies a large amount of factual and statistical information. Of great interest to students, specialists and practitioners, the book's nontechnical approach also makes it appropriate for all those interested in the issues of transition."--BOOK JACKET.

Economists from eastern and western Europe and the US offer their views on the shortcomings and pitfalls in the transition policies applied so far and on what policies should be pursued to attain the result they favor. Focusing mostly on Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia, they examine the overall framework of the transition strategy, the restructuring and development of the enterprise sector, the unemployment problem and social issues, and the integration of countries in the region into the world economy. The 23 papers are revised from presentations at a May 1996 colloquium, and comments and summaries of general discussion are included for each major topic. No index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR