What Have We Learned from Post-Communist Transitions?

47 Pages Posted: 25 Aug 2012

See all articles by Dalibor Rohac

Dalibor Rohac

Legatum Institute; King's College London

Date Written: July 11, 2012

Abstract

This paper provides a critical review of the literature on economic transitions in Central and Eastern Europe, highlighting their relevance to current economic and political changes in other parts of the world. It outlines the debate between the proponents of rapid and wholesale reforms – also known as the ‘Washington consensus’ – and the advocates of an approach that stresses the importance of institutional foundations that need to predate any moves towards liberalisation and privatisation. In the second part of this paper, we provide an alternative approach towards understanding economic transitions, which emphasises the role played by epistemic and public choice constraints.

Keywords: transition, shock therapy, gradualism, institutions, dispersed knowledge

JEL Classification: P2, P3, O16

Suggested Citation

Rohac, Dalibor, What Have We Learned from Post-Communist Transitions? (July 11, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2135571 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2135571

Dalibor Rohac (Contact Author)

Legatum Institute ( email )

11 Charles Street
Mayfair, London, London W1J 5DW
United Kingdom

King's College London ( email )

Strand
London, England WC2R 2LS
United Kingdom
07585303666 (Phone)

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
67
Abstract Views
569
Rank
608,356
PlumX Metrics