This paper begins by using a structure-conduct-performance perspective to show that partial reform improved the operation of China's state industries during the 1980s. The authors review the achievements of industries outside the state sector, emphasizing their links to the state sector. The...

The waves of reform and restructuring now engulfing most of Eastern Europe did not begin from the same starting point in each country. While they all share a common economic legacy—the traditional Soviet-type centrally planned economy—some countries had been experimenting with limited forms...

The socialist system introduced microeconomic distortions that probably transcend those observed in the third world. The recent developments in Poland, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union also support the hypothesis that macro stabilization will be difficult to achieve in the transforming socialist...

Below I will outline the traditional Soviet economic system, developing its logic of institutions and interactions, and pointing out their natural economic consequences. This will lead me to a list of defining characteristics of that system, characteristics that are mutually dependent and...

The transition from socialism to capitalism poses severe problems of financial management that have yet to be resolved in principle, let alone in practice. One unfortunate consequence is continual financial turmoil as socialist economies of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe attempt reform....

The classical Soviet-type system operates in the virtual absence of economic legality, which is a prerequisite to a successful transition to a market economy in the Soviet Union and the nations of Eastern Europe. In the absence of economic legality, the leadership of these countries will not be...

Various means of creating a private sector have been used in transition economies, including restitution, privatization of state firms through sales or voucher schemes, and start-ups of new private firms. The privatization of state-owned firms raises questions regarding the viability of future...

Since reforms started in 1978, China has combined rapid growth with moderate price stability. This paper analyzes China's macroeconomic performance over the past fifteen years with special attention to factors responsible both for the pace of economic expansion and the periodic fluctuations....

In this paper, we consider the reform process in those Central and East European countries that have made the decision to move from a more-or a less-planned socialist system to a private market economy, one in which private ownership predominates and most resources are allocated through markets....