Elites in Transition
Elites in Transition

Author: Heinrich Best

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-11-11

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13: 3663099229

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"Who rules in Eastern Europe?" became a fundamental question for western researchers and other observers after communist regimes were established in the region, and it gained further importance as state socialism expanded into Central Europe after the Second World War. A political order which, according to Leninist theory of the state and to subsequent Stalinist political practice, was primarily a highly centralised and repressive power organisation, directed, as if it were natural, researchers attention towards the highest echelon of office holders in party and state. Extreme centralisation of power in these regimes was consequently linked to an elitist approach to analysing them from a distant viewpoint. It is one of the many paradoxes of state socialism, that a social and political order which presumptuously claimed to be the final destination of historical development and to be based on deterministic laws of social evolution, which claimed an egalitarian nature and denied the significance of the individual, was per ceived through the idiosyncrasies, rivalries and personal traits of its rulers. The largest part of these societies remained in grey obscurity, onlyoccasion ally revealing bits of valid information about a social life distant from the centres of power. It is debatable whether this top-headedness of western re search into communist societies created a completely distorted picture of re ality, however, it certainly contributed to an overestimation of the stability of these regimes, an underestimation of their factual diversity and a misjudge ment of the extent of conflicts and cleavages dividing them.

The New Elite in Post-communist Eastern Europe
The New Elite in Post-communist Eastern Europe

Author: Vladimir Shlapentokh

Publisher: TAMU Press

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13:

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With the collapse of the Soviet Union, a radical metamorphosis took place in Eastern Europe as major power structures were replaced by new systems of power and authority. With new power systems came new types of dominant elites. The New Elite in Post-Communist Eastern Europe identifies those elites who have gained control of the political, economic, cultural, and scientific institutions of the new state systems and examines the nature of power in the post-Communist world and the relationships between the old and new elite. This study of the new elite in Eastern Europe developed from a 1994 conference on the subject, attended by scholars, sociologists, representatives from major national and international government organizations, European state leaders, and those considered members of the new elite. Twenty-six of those participants have now contributed their experiences and their definitions of the new elite to this book, edited by Vladimir Shlapentokh, Christopher Vanderpool, and Boris Doktorov, resulting in a global intellectual effort to define the political and social processes of post-Communist society. The New Elite in Post-Communist Eastern Europe contains analysis from members of nearly every post-Soviet republic. Many contributors conducted direct sociological research on their respective issues, which along with polls and other data sources, developed a strong empirical base for the work. In addition to an introduction by Shlapentokh and Vanderpool, chapters appear under four main sections: "Post-Communist Elites: An Overview"; "Elites in Post-Soviet Republics"; "The Regional Elite in Russia"; and "Types of the Elite." Eastern Europe is a hotbed of unrest, revolution, and change. Understanding those who are in power is vital to understanding the countries in that region and their potential impact on global politics, economy, and society. The New Elite in Post-Communist Eastern Europe offers that understanding.

Class Cultures in Post-Socialist Eastern Europe
Class Cultures in Post-Socialist Eastern Europe

Author: Dražen Cepić

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-10-26

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 0429840101

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This book investigates the extent to which social class has changed in Eastern Europe since the fall of communism. Based on extensive original research, the book discusses how ideas about class are viewed by both working class and middle class people. The book examines how such people’s social identities are shaped by various factors including economic success, culture and friendship networks. The present class situation in Eastern Europe is contrasted to what prevailed in Communist times, when societies were officially classless, but nevertheless had Communist party elites.

Democracy and Its Alternatives
Democracy and Its Alternatives

Author: Richard Rose

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 1998-10-16

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 9780801860386

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The collapse of Communism has created the opportunity for democracy to spread from Prague to the Baltic and Black Seas. But the alternatives—dictatorship or totalitarian rule—are more in keeping with the traditions of Central Europe. And for many post-Communist societies, democracy has come to be associated with inflation, unemployment, crime, and corruption. Is it still true, then, as Winston Churchill suggested a half-century ago, that people will accept democracy with all its faults—because it is better than anything else? To find out, political scientists Richard Rose, William Mishler, and Christian Haerpfer examine evidence from post-Communist societies in eastern Europe. Drawing on data from public opinion and exit polls, election results, and interviews, the authors present testable hypotheses regarding regime change, consolidation, and prospects for stabilization. The authors point out that the abrupt transition to democracy in post-Communist countries is normal; gradual evolution in the Anglo-American way is the exception to the rule. While most recent books on democratization focus on Latin America and, to some extent, Asia, the present volume offers a unique look at the process currently under way in nine eastern European countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Belarus, and Ukraine. Despite the many problems these post-Communist societies are experiencing in making the transition to a more open and democratic polity, the authors conclude that a little democracy is better than no democracy at all.

Institutional Design in Post-Communist Societies
Institutional Design in Post-Communist Societies

Author: Jon Elster

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1998-03-28

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 9780521479318

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The 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.