The purpose of this paper is to review the past evidence and to offer some new data to assess whether the incubator hypothesis can be empirically supported. In particular the two general aspects of the hypothesis will be tested. First, we will examine the proposition that highly centralized...

The elderly in Russia have often been among those least able to cope with all the changes that have taken place during the transition. Unlike the situation prior to reform-when pensions were stable-they now face considerable uncertainty. If they have not been in poverty, many have been close to...

In January 2005, Russia implemented a major overhaul of its social assistance system. The principal hallmark was the cashing out or monetization of some benefits previously provided on an in-kind basis. Using household survey data, this article measures the social and economic effects of the...

To encourage enterprise privatization and improve enterprise efficiency, the Russian Federation government mandated that local governments assume financial and management responsibility for the housing stock of privatizing enterprises. Despite the mandate, the process of enterprise housing...

Auditing is a technique used to test for discrimination. The concept is straightforward: Two individuals are matched on all relevant characteristics except the one presumed to lead to discrimination. Each person then applies for the same job, housing, mortgage loan, or credit card. The...