Institutional Design in Post-Communist Societies: Rebuilding the Ship at SeaThe authors of this book have developed a new and stimulating approach to the analysis of the transitions of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia to democracy and a market economy. They integrate interdisciplinary theoretical work with elaborate empirical data on some of the most challenging events of the twentieth century. Three groups of phenomena and their causal interconnection are explored: the material legacies, constraints, habits and cognitive frameworks inherited from the past; the erratic configuration of new actors, and new spaces for action; and a new institutional order under which agency is institutionalized and the sustainability of institutions is achieved. The book studies the interrelations of national identities, economic interests, and political institutions with the transformation process, concentrating on issues of constitution making, democratic infrastructure, the market economy, and social policy. |
Contents
Introduction agenda agency and the aims of Central East European transitions | 1 |
1 The particular character of the Central and East European transitions | 3 |
2 The role of military force and conflict | 6 |
weak agents diverse aspirations | 11 |
economic interests political institutions national identities | 17 |
5 The demise of European state socialism | 21 |
who shall be in charge? | 27 |
Mapping Eastern Europe | 35 |
3 Bringing the state back out | 161 |
4 The furnishing of capitalism | 183 |
5 The long road to functioning markets | 194 |
Social policy transformation | 203 |
2 The old welfare regime and the reform ambitions after 1989 | 204 |
institutional continuities and changes in the realm of social policy | 208 |
from state command to interest coordination | 234 |
state of reform and performance | 244 |
comparative country profiles | 37 |
modes of extrication | 48 |
methodological remarks | 60 |
Constitutional politics in Eastern Europe | 63 |
1 Constitution making | 64 |
2 Constitutional structure and provisions | 80 |
Building and consolidating democracies | 109 |
2 The choice and consequences of the electoral systems | 111 |
the prospects for party competition | 131 |
Building capitalism in Eastern Europe | 156 |
constraints dilemmas paradoxes | 158 |
Consolidation and the cleavages of ideology and identity | 247 |
2 Ethnic and other identitybased cleavages | 254 |
3 Politicoideological cleavages | 261 |
4 Conclusion | 267 |
Conclusion the unfinished project | 271 |
2 Evaluation of the outcomes of the transition process in the four countries under study | 274 |
3 How to explain the ranking | 292 |
4 Concluding observations | 305 |
309 | |
346 | |
Other editions - View all
Institutional Design in Post-Communist Societies: Rebuilding the Ship at Sea Jon Elster,Claus Offe,Ulrich K. Preuss No preview available - 1998 |
Common terms and phrases
1994 elections actors adopted agrarian amendments basic benefits breakdown Bulgaria Bulgarian constitution Bulgarian Socialist Party CEE countries central bank chapter Civic Democratic Party Civic Forum cleavages coalition communist regime competition conflict consolidation Constitutional Court countries under study cultural Czech lands Czech Republic Czechoslovakia decision democracy East European Eastern Europe economic reforms elections electoral system elites emerged ethnic forces former four countries framework Hungarian Hungary HZDS ideological industrial initial institutional interests Klaus liberalization majority market economy Meciar minority Moreover National Assembly old regime opposition parliament parliamentary party system pension percent Poland political parties post-communist pre-communist president prime minister privatization problems programs Public Against Violence role Romania rules seats sector Slovak constitution Slovak National Party Slovak Republics Slovakia social policy socialist society socio-economic Soviet state-owned enterprises structure tion transformation transition unemployment Union vote voucher privatization welfare