Synopses & Reviews
“This admirable work has contributions from an impressive group of specialists who cover the topic comprehensively. Balanced, reasonable transitions in various economic sectors are urged persuasively and in some cases even eloquently. The book has the potential for making a significant impact.”
—Ralph T. Fisher, Jr.,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
This book delivers an unpopular message: the West has played a pivotal role in the Russian economic disaster of the 1990s. Western advisors, including the International Monetary Fund and the U.S. Treasury, applied a narrow conception of economics that pushed Russia, after more than seventy years of communism, toward another failed utopia.
The twenty-six contributions to this book are divided into three parts: theory, evidence, and policy. Part One directly challenges orthodox economic theory for obscuring the necessary role of government in creating and sustaining a market system and features essays by three Nobel laureates in economics—Kenneth J. Arrow, Lawrence R. Klein, and James Tobin. Part Two describes the dimensions of the economic crisis in Russia and presents a Russian perspective on the failure of shock therapy. Part Three presents policy recommendations, with special attention given to improving the integrity and administrative competence of the Russian government.
Review
"No writing or oratory in history has been more replete with bad advice than that given Russia in the last decade. Here, for a change, is something very goodthe best, in fact, that truly competent and responsible American and Russian scholars have to offer. I strongly recommend it."John Kenneth Galbraith
Review
"A searching critique of the strategy favored in the West . . . it contributes fresh perspectives on the much debated question concerning the 'big bang' versus 'gradualism' in communist economic transformation."Abram Bergson, Harvard University
Review
"This admirable work has contributions from an impressive group of specialists who cover the topic comprehensively. Balanced, reasonable transitions in various economic sectors are urged persuasively and in some cases even eloquently. The book has the potential for making a significant impact."Ralph T. Fisher, Jr., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Review
"[An] excellent, well-organized, and useful collection about economic reform in postcommunist Russia. . . . The strength of The New Russia lies in the editors' thoughtful and thematic organization of the material, the consistency of argumentation applied to a panoply of economic issues, the depth and rigor of analysis throughout, and the prescription for recovery in the 'Reform Agenda' and 'Call for Action.'"Slavic Review
Review
"[An] excellent, well-organized, and useful collection about economic reform in postcommunist Russia. . . . The strength of The New Russia lies in the editors' thoughtful and thematic organization of the material, the consistency of argumentation a
Synopsis
“No writing or oratory in history has been more replete with bad advice than that given Russia in the last decade. Here, for a change, is something very good—the best, in fact, that truly competent and responsible American and Russian scholars have to offer. I strongly recommend it.”—John Kenneth Galbraith
“A searching critique of the strategy favored in the West . . . it contributes fresh perspectives on the much debated question concerning the ‘big bang versus ‘gradualism in communist economic transformation.”—Abram Bergson, Harvard University
Synopsis
This book delivers an unpopular message: the West has played a pivotal role in the Russian economic disaster of the 1990s. The twenty-six contributions to this study are divided into three parts: theory, evidence, and policy. Part One directly challenges orthodox economic theory for obscuring the necessary role of government in creating and sustaining a market system. Part Two describes the dimensions of the economic crisis in Russia. Part Three presents policy recommendations, with special attention given to improving the integrity and administrative competence of the Russian government.
Synopsis
Suggests that the West played pivotal role in the Russian economic disaster of the 1990s.
Synopsis
This book delivers an unexpected and unpopular message: the West played a pivotal role in the Russian economic disaster of the 1990s. It shows how Western advisors, including the International Monetary Fund and the U.S. Treasury, applied a narrow conception of economics that pushed Russia, after more than 70 years of communism, toward another failed Utopia.
About the Author
No writing or oratory in history has been more replete with bad advice than that given Russia in the last decade. Here, for a change, is something very goodthe best, in fact, that truly competent and responsible American and Russian scholars have to offer. I strongly recommend it.”John Kenneth GalbraithA searching critique of the strategy favored in the West . . . it contributes fresh perspectives on the much debated question concerning the big bang’ versus gradualism’ in communist economic transformation.”Abram Bergson, Harvard UniversityThis admirable work has contributions from an impressive group of specialists who cover the topic comprehensively. Balanced, reasonable transitions in various economic sectors are urged persuasively and in some cases even eloquently. The book has the potential for making a significant impact.”Ralph T. Fisher, Jr., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign[An] excellent, well-organized, and useful collection about economic reform in postcommunist Russia. . . . The strength of The New Russia lies in the editors’ thoughtful and thematic organization of the material, the consistency of argumentation applied to a panoply of economic issues, the depth and rigor of analysis throughout, and the prescription for recovery in the Reform Agenda’ and Call for Action.’”Slavic Review
Table of Contents
Introduction; Part I. Perspective: 1. Economic transition: speed and scope; 2. What do we economists know now about the transition to a market system? 3. The transition's initial years; 4. Privatization and criminalization; 5. Where is Russia now? 6. Economic efficiency and political pressures; 7. A roundtable discussion; Part II. Proposals: 8. Overall agenda for reform; 9. Public wealth funds; 10. Economic reintegration of the Commonwealth of Independent States; 11. Import tariffs; 12. Taxation of mineral wealth; 13. Reform of the agricultural sector; 14. Reform of the coal industry.