Poslední úprava: Mgr. Karel Svoboda, Ph.D. (13.02.2020)
Since the fall of the Bretton Woods institutions, economists believed that the "market first" approach may solve all the problems of struggling economies. It seemed that the whole world acknowledged the victory of the liberal approach. However, as the time went on, it became obvious that neoliberalist approach did not work well for all the countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Some of them adopted a different approach to addressing the economic problems.
The course is primarily aimed at non-economists, but economists are also welcomed. Its main purpose is to provide students with an understanding of the political economy of developments in the post-Soviet space and the debates surrounding the transformation process. In comparison with purely economic science courses, the course covers a broader field of the change of political-economic systems.
When did the transformation begin? What were the main differences between the situation in Central Europe and the situation in the post-Soviet space? Why the transformation evolved to a semi-failed state in Ukraine, an authoritarian state in Russia or full dictatorships in Central Asia? What was the role of initial conditions? Is there any "right" approach, universal to all the countries? Why can economic science not agree on one single approach?
Literatura
Poslední úprava: Mgr. Karel Svoboda, Ph.D. (07.03.2024)
The readings for each class will be available through Moodle https://dl2.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=3966
Obligatory:
Myant M.; Drahokoupil J., Transition Economies: Political Economy in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010
Aslund A., How capitalism was built: the transformation of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Additional:
Aslund A., Russia's capitalist revolution: why market reform succeeded and democracy failed?, Washington: Peterson Institute for International Economics, 2007. Goldman M., The piratization of Russia : Russian reform goes awry, London : Routledge, 2003. Aslund A., How Ukraine Became a Market Economy and Democracy, Washington: Peterson Institute for International Economics, 2008. Konoczuk W., The failure of integration. The CIS and other international organisations in the post-Soviet area 1991-2006, OSW, Warsawa 2007. Chubrik A. , Haiduk K., Pelipas I., Growth for All? Economy of Belarus: Challenges ahead, Minsk 2007, http://research.by/pdf/growthforall2007en.pdf.
Gevorkyan A. W., Transition Economies, Routledge 2021. Schleifer A., Treisman D., A normal country, October 2003, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=460920. Daniel Gros, Alfred Steinherr, Economic Transition in Central and Eastern Europe, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Gelʹman, Vladimir, O. Marganii︠a︡, and Dmitriĭ Travin. 2014. Reexamining economic and political reforms in Russia, 1985-2000: generations, ideas, and changes. New York: Lexington Books.
Požadavky ke zkoušce - angličtina
Poslední úprava: Mgr. Karel Svoboda, Ph.D. (07.03.2024)
Requirements:
Activity in the class
based on assigned readings,
meaningful participation (commentaries, questions) in a discussion following your colleagues’ presentations
Tests: test concluding each of the parts (Socialist economy, transformation, current affairs) - multiple choice based.
Presentation
15 minutes long (powerpoint possible, not obligatory)
Assessment:
10% activity in the class (class reading) - ability to answer the questions and formulate own view, based on readings
60% tests (20 percent each)
30% presentation - the ability to formulate the topic and present it.
(A) 100 - 91%
(B) 90 - 80%
(C) 79- 70%
(D) 69-60
(E) 59-50
(F) less than 50%
Note on plagiarism:
Students should follow the rules of academic conduct. Any instance of plagiarism will be immediately delivered to the Disciplinary Commission for further decision. Please consult with the lecturer about any uncertainties before you submit your paper.
Sylabus
Poslední úprava: Mgr. Karel Svoboda, Ph.D. (07.03.2024)
23.02.2024
Presentations, course introduction, basic terms.
01.03.2024
Command economy, its functioning. Planning and its deficiencies, Innovations, and Pricing system. Reforming of the economies. What were the systemic and what were changeable features of the regime? Why did all the efforts to change the system fail?
08.03.2024
Perestroika - reform plans. Was the fall of the Soviet Union inevitable? Was it caused only by economic affairs? What were the actual consequences and results?
State capture, business capture in the post-Soviet Area
19.04.2024
Authoritarianism in the CIS, a non-liberal model of development
26.04.2024
Crises in the post-Soviet World. 1998. World financial crisis in the CIS. Did the fall in GDP reflect reality? Crisis in Russia, Economic integration in the CIS - reaction to globalization?
