In the first decade that the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia transitioned toward freer markets, measured income inequality increased. Because this contradicted previous models of inequality, researchers linked the increase in inequality to a supposed equality under...

In the same time period over which the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia became freer, measured inequality of income for those countries increased. Researchers linked the increase to the egalitarian values of socialism and to the process of economic and political...