Synopsis
Can property regimes be successfully transformed while simultaneously extending citizenship rights to the property-less? This is the postsocialist challenge analyzed in this comparative study of the new democracies of a distinctly East European capitalism. Tracing the diverse pathways from the collapse of communism, a leading American economic sociologist and a pioneering Hungarian political scientist examine the innovative character, born of necessity, of postsocialist institutions in which actors are recombining economic assets and redefining political resources. Under conditions of extraordinary uncertainty, networks of enterprises become the units of economic restructuring, blurring the boundaries of public and private and yielding distinctive patterns of interorganizational ownership. In contrast to recent calls to liberate the market or to liberate the state, this sustained comparative analysis demonstrates the benefits of deliberative institutions that are neither market friendly nor hierarchical. By extending accountability, actors bound through associative ties make agreements that extend the authority to carry out reforms.

First Sentence
The cataclysmic dissolution of the Communist regimes and the clamorous awakening of the East European peoples in 1989 prompted observers to overestimate the strength of organized democratic forces in these events. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews   Fascinating alternative to Transition recipes & histories, 23 Sep 2000 By A Customer This work provides a useful insight into the debate over transition in East Central Europe and adds an alternative outlook on the question of how best to restructure the economy. The authors start by rejecting conventional accounts of transition as imitation (following a Western blueprint) and involution (the weight of the socialist past is too heavy for optimism). In their place, they argue for transition as innovation. In fact they wish to replace 'transition' with 'transformation' reflecting the incremental nature of rearranging, reconfiguring and recombining resources which existed during socialist times. They use three casestudies to show the necessity of understanding the process of 'extrication' from socialism to understand the subsequent process of transformation. Through the cases of Hungary, East Germany and Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia, they present a convincing case of the value of networks in the economy and how to productively use them as a tool for economic restructuring. Whereas neoliberals advocate the use of strong markets and neostatists the use of coherent states for instigating marketisation, the authors argue that since neither are present in ECE, states should work on the basis of strong networks as a tool with which the region has great experience. Furthermore, in order to foster policy coherence, extended accountability in the political sphere and institutions of deliberative association in the economic are argued to be invaluable. Critically, all this is based on the view that transformation involves more than simply economic performance; also critical for its long term viability are public support, business confidence, voting behaviour and so on. In summary, the authors' thesis of 'transformative politics of deliberative association' is nuanced, regionally sensitive, pragmatic, backed-up by convincing case-studies and a good read.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Economic systems
Economics
Industrial relations
Political structure & processes
Eastern Europe
Contemporary Economic Situations And Conditions
Contemporary Politics - Eastern Europe
Economic Conditions
Europe, Central
Labor & Industrial Relations - General
Political Science
Political economy
Politics/International Relations
Post-communism
Privatization
Right of property


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