Post-Conflict State Building: the debate on institutional choice

A significant theoretical and empirical question underlying much of the literature on post-conflict state building is which institutions offer the best prospect for peace and democracy in divided societies recovering from conflict. This debate is highly relevant for many developing countries. With much invested by third parties in post-conflict reconstruction and a mixed track record of success at best, the question explored by this article is whether consociational institutional designs—widely applied in policy practice and severely criticised in academic discourse—can accomplish the twin goals of peace and democracy in divided post-conflict societies. Examining the claims of supporters and detractors of consociationalism, the article finds substantial conceptual and empirical evidence that consociational institutions hold significant promise for building democratic states after conflict in divided societies.     

Karl Marx and the economics of communism: anniversary recollections

This paper grew out of the author's Karl Marx studies and his practical knowledge of Soviet-type communist economies. It covers a broad spectrum of ideas and practices prevalent in those economies, which— rightly or wrongly—have become associated with Marx's teaching and predictions. Chapter I tries to explain the reasons for Marx's continuous popularity. Chapter II critically examines the validity of the claim about Marxian socialism being “scientific” as opposed to “utopian”. The article, especially in chapter III elaborates on a number of other Marxian ideas, like that of the so-called “anarchy of the market”, which for many decades exerted a negative influence on his followers—theoreticians and practitioners engaged in building what they believed to be a communist economy and society. One of the quintessential features of Marx's teaching, which he took over from Smith and Ricardo, was the labor theory of value and the “law of value” in particular. The latter, interpreted by Stalin as “the law of value under socialism”, was used by him for ideological and propaganda purposes, but after his death has in turn been utilized by Marxists, non-Marxists and anti-Marxists to discredit the Stalinist economic system, and to advance propositions ranking from profound, relevant and commendable to vague and frivolous. Tracing in Chapter IV the peripetia of this “law” provides a deeper insight into both the essential weaknesses of the Marxian theory and the acute dilemmas of the Soviet-type economies.     

Constructing courts after communism: Reevaluating the effect of electoral uncertainty

A prominent view in political science is that electoral uncertainty leads institutional designers to prefer independent and powerful courts. Yet few scholars have examined the design of constitutional courts systematically across Eastern Europe and those who have employed the results of elections held after constitutions were adopted to estimate the actors' perceptions of the balance of power prior to the court's design. This work reevaluates the effects of electoral uncertainty in post-communist Europe using more appropriate data and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to outline the different causal configurations linking electoral uncertainty to the initial judicial empowerment.     

Socialism after communism?: The socioeconomic and cultural foundations of left politics in post-soviet russia

This article examines socioeconomic foundations of leftist politics in post-Soviet Russia. It is often argued that the reemergence of left politics is the result of contingent factors connected to transitional crises. While this is one source of strength for the left, there are two more important and enduring sources: a “socialist value culture” among a large majority of Russians, and an emerging pseudo-capitalist system that is creating “traditional” class-based and left-leaning attitudes and affiliations among particular social groups. The article examines the extent of this value culture and the emergence of these attitudes and affiliations through an analysis of statistical data and interviews conducted with Russian workers and intelligentsia figures from 1994–1997.     

The ghosts of the past: 20 years after the fall of communism in Europe

Twenty years after the fall of communism in Europe, the post-Soviet countries have not achieved a similar stage of democratic development. They have shown to be too diverse and historically too independent to follow one path of consolidation. This volume questions the premises of transitology, homogeneity, and path dependency theories and suggests an insight into the continuities and discontinuities within particular contexts of the given countries (Russia, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Ukraine, Poland and others). The latter quite often collide with each other and with the Western democratic values, thus putting a concept of a harmonious dialogue or a definite democratic solution for Europe into doubt. This volume challenges one-directional analyses of both communism and capitalism and offers an examination of their inner contrasts and contradictions that are a part of transitions to democracy. The irreconcilable differences between the two systems of ideologies determined by universalisms, such as utilitarianism, liberalism, harmony, and productivity, were derived from the post-Enlightenment heritage of the humanist ideals which today cannot be acknowledged without criticism. To grasp the dynamics of the post-Soviet countries that are developing their own democratic models requires looking into their political struggles, social fissures and complexities within their past and present, rather than observing them from the epistemological standpoint. Such a standpoint is criticised in this volume for seeing those countries as locked in one homogenous totalitarian paradigm. The abstractness of the universalist and utopian concept of transition imposed on concrete social relations is criticised, while the theoriticisation of democratic ideals is related to the political legitimisation.     

Reconceptualizing layering—From mode of institutional change to mode of institutional design: Types and outputs

Due to its popularity, the term layering is often used generically, and it risks being transformed into a catch‐all concept. Layering has become synonymous with incremental change, thus making it a synonym for change without any specification in terms of the change and its effects. To make the term more conceptually coherent and empirically useful, this article problematizes the historical neo‐institutionalist definition of layering as a mode of change and, above all, its use in the literature. It argues that layering should be conceptualized in terms of modes of institutional design through which different types of additions to the actual institutional arrangement can be activated to pursue not only institutional and eventually policy change but also stability. As an approach to institutional design, layering can be distinguished according to that which is layered and the results that layering can achieve in terms of institutional and policy effects.     

Consolidating Democracy in Thailand: The First Four Years of Democracy under the Constitution of 1997

The period across parliamentary elections in Thailand, 2001–2005, constitutes the longest continuous government under a democratic constitution in Thai history. This article explores the consolidation of democracy in the Thai population during this period through national probability samples of Thai public opinion. The results indicate movement in the direction of greater support for democracy, but also revealing significant cleavages corresponding to the ‘two democracies’ thesis that proved to be the basis for bringing this era of democracy to an end.     

The measurement of institutional characteristics of nations: Methodological considerations

A major barrier to the quantitative investigation of interactions between economic and non‐economic influences in economic development is the lack of adequate indicators of institutional traits of nations. Our purpose in this paper is to consider the methodological procedures involved in the development of qualitative sociopolitical and economic indicators.

The first sections of the paper deal with various aspects related to the subject of measurement. This is necessary because misconceptions regarding the nature of ‘qualitative measurement’ are common, and misleading contrasts between qualitative and quantitative measurement are frequently made. The last four sections illustrate the procedures for the measurement of institutional indicators by applying them to the quantification of the concept of political participation in developing countries.     

The Effect of Incentive Reforms Upon Productivity: Evidence from the Vietnamese Rice Industry

In this study we use region-level panel data on rice production in Vietnam to investigate total factor productivity (TFP) growth in the period since reunification in 1975. Two significant reforms were introduced during this period, one in 1981 allowing farmers to keep part of their produce, and another in 1987 providing improved land tenure. We measure TFP growth using two modified forms of the standard Malmquist data envelopment analysis (DEA) method, which we have named the Three-year-window (TYW) and the Full Cumulative (FC) methods. We have developed these methods to deal with degrees of freedom limitations. Our empirical results indicate strong average TFP growth of between 3.3 and 3.5 per cent per annum, with the fastest growth observed in the period following the first reform. Our results support the assertion that incentive related issues have played a large role in the decline and subsequent resurgence of Vietnamese agriculture.     

NGOs and the institutional development of membership organisations: A Kenyan case

A World Neighbors Programme in Kenya suggests more general conclusions about how NGOs can help to promote strong, inclusive membership organisations. A capacity to recognise the potential and limitations of existing institutions is found to be critical. It is important to address perceived needs, start with something simple to build confidence, and diversify in order to meet the requirements of different constituencies. A clear strategy is necessary to reconcile these sometimes conflicting demands. Success demands a heavy initial geographical concentration of resources, a substantial training input to provide staff with specialist facilitation skills, and an NGO structure which can access a wide range of external resources.     

Robust emergency management: The role of institutional trust in organized volunteers

In these turbulent times of increased frequency and magnitude of emergencies caused by climate change, pandemics, and other public safety hazards, there has been a growing interest in the question of how to enhance the robustness of emergency management systems. Recent research points to integrated networks of public and non-profit actors as a superior strategy for developing robust governance responses to turbulent problems. This article suggests that institutionally conditioned trust between professionals and volunteers is key to robust emergency management. Based on institutional trust theory and the findings of an empirical case study of local emergency management in Denmark and Norway, it shows how six institutional sources of trust condition the scalable use of organized emergency management volunteers. The study contributes with a theoretical argument and empirical insights on how institutional trust strengthens the robust governance and management of emergencies.     

The two faces of contemporary Eurasianism: an imperial version of Russian nationalism

Stephen Blank, The Sorcerer as Apprentice: Stalin as Commissar of Nationalities, 1917–1924. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1994, ix, 295 pp.

Coit D. Blacker, Hostage to Revolution: Gorbachev and Soviet security policy, 1985–1991, New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1993, xviii, 239 pp.

John E. Tedstrom (ed.), Socialism, Perestroika and the Dilemmas of Soviet Economic Reform. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, xix., 239 pp.

Hall Gardner, Surviving the Millennium: American global strategy, the collapse of the Soviet empire, and the question of peace. Westport, Conneticut, London: Praeger, 1994, xiv, 263 pp.

Richard G. Robbins, Jr., The Tsar's Viceroys: Russian provincial governors in the last years of the empire. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1987, xiv, 249 pp.

Anthony L. H. Rhinelander, Prince Michael Vorontsov: viceroy to the tsar. Montreal, Quebec: McGill‐Queen's University Press, 1990, viii, 279 pp., illus.

George Nekrasov, North of Gallipoli: the Black Sea fleet at war 1914–1917. East European Monographs, No. CCCXLIII; distributed by Columbia University Press, New York, 1992, vi, 167 pp. + appendices, 12 plates and 45 photographs.

Frederick Starr (ed.), The Legacy of History in Russia and the New States of Eurasia. The International Politics of Eurasia. Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994, xiii, 313 pp.

Gail W. Lapidus (ed.), The New Russia: troubled transformation. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1995, 280 pp.

Donald D. Barry (ed.), Toward the “Rule of Law” in Russia? Political and Legal Reform in the Transition Period. Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1992, 402 pp.

Deborah Anne Palmieri (ed.), Russia and the NIS in the World Economy: East‐West investment, financing, and trade. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 1994, 180 pp. + chronology, selected bibliograph, and index.

Joseph Held, Dictionary of East European History Since 1945. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1995, 497 pp. + index.

Janusz Bugajski, Ethnic Politics in Eastern Europe: a guide to nationality policies, organizations, and parties. Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994, xxvi, 493 pp. + map.

Jaroslav Pelikan, Confessor Between East and West: a portrait of Ukrainian Cardinal Josyf Slipyj. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, 1990, xiv, 249 pp. + illus.

Rudolf A. Mark, Galizien unter österreichischer Herrschaft. Verwaltung‐Kirche‐Bevölkerung. Marburg: Historische und landeskundliche Ostmitteleuropa‐Studien, Bd. 13, 1994, 132 Seiten, 7 Karten.

Barbara Dotts Paul, The Polish‐German Borderlands: an annotated bibliography. Westwood, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1994, vi, 201 pp. [Bibliographies and Indices in World History, Number 35].

Bela Borsi‐Kalman, Hungarian Exiles and the Romanian National Movement, 1849–1867. Trans. by Eva Palmai. Highland Lakes, New Jersey: Atlantic Research and Publications, 1991.

Stanley B. Winters (ed.), Robert A. Kann. Dynasty, Politics, and Culture. Selected Essays. Boulder, Colorado: Social Science Monographs; distributed by Columbia University Press, 1991, xvi, 444 pp.

Spira, Thomas, The German‐Hungarian‐Swabian Triangle: the road to discord. Boulder, Colorado: East European Monographs, No. CCLXXXV. East European Quarterly, Distributed by Columbia University Press, 1990, iii, 275 pp. + bibliography and index.

Hugh Poulton, The Balkans: minorities and states in conflict. London: Minority Rights Group, 1993, x, 262 pp. + illus. and maps.

Georg Von Rauch, The Baltic States: the years of independence, 1917–1940. New York: St Martin's Press, 1994, xvii, 241 pp. + bibliography, appendices and index.

Mart Laar, War in the Woods, Estonia's Struggle for Survival. Translated from the Estonian by Tiina Ets, Washington, DC: The Compass Press, 1992, 272 pp. + illust.

Joan Serafin (ed.), East‐Central Europe in the 1990s, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1994, x, 256 pp.

Yuri Rost, Armenian Tragedy: an eye‐witness account of human conflict and natural disaster in Armenia and Azerbaijan, Foreword by Andrei Sakharov, translated by Elizabeth Roberts, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990, xii, 193 pp.

Shafiqul Islam and Michael Mandelbaum (eds), Making Markets, New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1993, ix, 238 pp. + illust.

Beatrice Manz (ed.), Central Asia in Historical Perspective, Boulder, Colorado: West‐view Press, 1994, 219 pp. + appendix, index.

H. B. Paksoy (ed.) Central Asia Reader: the rediscovery of history, Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994, ix, 200 pp. + index.

Ahmed Rashid, The Resurgence of Central Asia: Islam or nationalism?, Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey: Zed Books, 1994, v‐x., 252 pp. + appendix, bibliography, index.     

The Arabness of Middle East regionalism: the Arab Spring and competition for discursive hegemony between Egypt,Iran and Turkey

The Middle East is often considered to demonstrate a case of weak regionalism. This article suggests that the continued prevalence of Arab identity as the hegemonic component of regional consciousness contributes to this. The dominance of a discourse of ‘Arabness’ reduces the region's flexibility to adapt and develop regional institutions in several ways and particularly vis-a-vis the non-Arab communities and states that are found within the spatial boundaries of the Middle East. To explore the role played by Arab identity politics in regionalism with regard to the status of non-Arab states, this article presents a study of the competing hegemonic regional discourses employed by Turkey, Iran and Egypt during a two-year period following the 2011 uprising in Egypt. This analysis suggests that even during a time of crisis, non-Arab states face obstacles to their assertion of regional projects and that Arabness is a central factor in the narratives resisting alternative interpretations of the interests and definition of the Middle East as a region. The article concludes that Arabness forms the hegemonic discourse that shapes the international relations of the Middle East.     

Deliberative democracy in local governance: the impact of institutional design on legitimacy

Deliberative democracy is expected to increase legitimacy and effectiveness of democratic governance. In recent years, a growing body of research has reported on different instances of participatory innovations across the globe. Nevertheless, quantitative evidence on the determinants of legitimate and effective deliberative procedures is still scarce. Examining parents’ participation in school governance in Switzerland, this article explores the effect of the design of deliberative institutions on perceptions of legitimacy and effectiveness. Based on an original survey of 312 parent councils of public primary schools in Switzerland, the results of our analysis corroborate theoretical expectations about the impact of institutional design on legitimacy and effectiveness of deliberative procedures: More authority granted to parent councils clearly enhances the output-legitimacy of these bodies.