Why have economic reforms aimed at reducing the role of the state been successful in some cases but not others? Are reform failures the consequence of leviathan states that hinder private economic activity, or of weak states unable to implement policies effectively and provide a supportive...

We reexamine the recent, well-publicized claim that 'rapid mass privatisation [of state-owned enterprises] ... was a crucial determinant of differences in adult mortality trends in postcommunist countries' (Stuckler, King and McKee, 2009). Our analysis shows that the estimated correlation of...