The Political Economy of Transition

Norbert Wunner presents an analysis of the main factors which have contributed to the slow and painful structural adjustment process and to the delay of economic reforms in transition countries from a political economy perspective.

Ten years after the start of transition in Central and Eastern Europe the initial euphoria has given way to wide-spread disillusionment. Virtually all former socialist economies have gone through a deep economic recession with a collapse in output, falling real incomes, and a surge in unemployment.

Norbert Wunner presents an analysis of the main factors which have contributed to this slow and painful structural adjustment process and to the delay of economic reforms in transition countries from a political economy perspective.

Autorentext

Dr. Norbert Wunner war wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter von Prof. Albert Schweinberger, Ph.D., am Lehrstuhl für Internationale Wirtschaftsbeziehungen der Universität Konstanz. Heute ist er DAAD Fachlektor in Deutscher Politischer Ökonomie an der London School of Economics and Political Science.

Inhalt
1 Introduction.- 1.1 Objective.- 1.2 Facets of transition.- 1.3 On the economics of transition.- 1.4 Structure.- I The economics of transition.- 2 Stylised facts.- 3 Transition in Eastern Europe.- 4 Economic theory and transition.- II Economic restructuring, international trade and factor markets.- 5 Labour re-allocation.- 6 Capital markets and transition.- 7 Conclusions.- References.