Comparing Economic Systems

PrefacePart One. Introduction 1. Political and Economic Systems Plan of the Book The Political-Economic Approach Socialism and Capitalism Democracy and Dictatorship Developed and Underdeveloped Economies Hypotheses Concerning Politics and Economics Comparing Economic Systems Controversies among Comparative Economists Recommended ReadingsPart Two. Market Economies and the Government 2. Japan. Business and Government Coordination Background Corporate Structure and Finance Household Savings Labor Market Institutions Role of the State Summary and Conclusion Recommended Readings 3. Sweden. The Middle Way Background Social Services and Benefits The Cooperative Sector Industrial Democracy Labor Market Characteristics and Policies Fiscal Policy Monetary Policy Supply Management Capital Formation Conclusion Recommended Readings 4. France. Indicative Planning The Monnet Plan Performance of the First Plan Later Plans Performance of Planned Goals The Socialist Government of Mitterrand (1981-) Different Views of Planning and Management Managing the Nationalized Firms Macro Performance under the Mitterrand Government Recommended ReadingsPart Three. Central Planning: The Soviet Case Soviet Economic Institutions: Differences from the United States Government Ownership of Industry Government Ownership of Agriculture Central Planning Central Planning and the University Public Health, Education, and Housing Soviet Economie Institutions: Similarities to the United States Plan of Part Three 5. USSR. Development from 1917 to 1928 Russia before 1917 Political Evolution, 1905-1917 War Communism Political Evolution, 1917-1921 Socioeconomic Causes of Soviet Dictatorship The New Economic Policy Beginnings of NEP (1921-1923) The Scissors Crisis (1923-1924) The End of NEP (1924-1928) The Great Debate The Stalinist Solution Recommended Readings 6. USSR. Development from 1928 to the Present Political History, 1928 to 1956 Political Development, 1956 to the Present Soviet Ideology: Democracy and Dictatorship The First Five-Year Plan (1928-1932) The Second Five-Year Plan (1933-1937) The Third Five-Year Plan (1938-1941) Growth in the 1930s The Second World War (1941-1945) Reconstruction (1945-1950) Soviet Economic Growth, 1950 to the Present The Political-Ethical Issues: Consumption Vs. Investment A Statistical Overview of Soviet and U.S. Growth Since 1950 Why the Soviet Economy Has Grown Faster Than the U.S. Economy The Decline of Soviet Growth Rates The Slowdown in Soviet Growth Appendix 6A. Problems with Soviet Statistics Appendix 6B. Soviet vs. U.S. "Defense Spending" 7. USSR. The Operation of Central Planning Forms of Enterprise The Ministry System The Organization of the Planning Mechanism The Price System The Second Economy Appendix 7A. Soviet Planning for International Trade Method of Planning International Trade The Volume of Trade Recommended Readings Recommended Readings for Appendix 8. USSR. Planning for Balance Aggregate Balance No General Unemployment Causes of Inflation The Lack of Balance and Its Cure Problems of Coordination Input-Output Method Problems of the Soviet Balance Method Limitations of Input-Output Method Appendix 8A. The Input-Output Technique Recommended Readings 9. USSR. Planning for Efficiency Need for Rational Prices Optimal Conditions and Planning Information and Computation Problems Central and Decentralized Solutions A Tentative Summary of Conclusions The "Law of Value" in the Soviet Union Prices and Efficiency Summary of the Planning Debate Choice of Technology Decision Making, Democracy, and Efficiency Appendix 9A. Linear Programming in the Soviet Context An Example Recommended Readings 10. USSR. Class Structure: Rulers, Managers, Workers, and Farmers The Soviet Ruling Class Mobility Soviet Income Distribution and Inequality Stratification of the Soviet Working Class Soviet Managers Soviet Industrial Workers Soviet Agricultural Workers Appendix 10A. Trade Unions Soviet Trade Unions Polish Trade Unions U.S. Trade Unions Recommended Readings 11. USSR. Reform and Regression, After 1965 Political Background of Reform Economic Problems Leading to Reform Problems of the Soviet Enterprise The Liberman Debate Official Reforms What Happened to the Reforms? Continuing Contradictions Recommended ReadingsPart Four. Central Planning: The Developing Countries 12. China. A Changing Model Background Economic Development and the Transformation of the Chinese Economy The Cultural Revolution The Post-Mao Reforms Industrial Reform Agricultural Reform Reform Problems Conclusion Recommended Readings 13. Cuba. Socialism Next Door Background Early Development Strategy Planning in the 1960s Economic Change, 1970-1975 Economic Change Since 1975 Achievements of the Cuban Revolution Soviet Economic Aid Prospects Conclusion Recommended ReadingsPart Five. Market Socialism 14. The Theory of Market Socialism The Economics of Market Socialism Alternative Market Socialist Models Recommended Readings 15. Hungary. Plan and Market Background Early Economic Reform The New Economic Mechanism NEM: The Second Phase Evaluation Recommended Readings 16. Yugoslavia. Self-Management and the Market Early Economic Policy: The Emergence of the Yugoslav Model Economic Reforms of 1965 Income Distribution The Economic Theory of Worker Management Yugoslav Worker Management in Practice The Reforms of the 1970s Conclusion Recommended ReadingsPart Six. Conclusion 17. Comparing Economic Systems General Remarks Evaluating Performance Methodology Criteria and Performance Final Remarks Appendix 17A. A Controlled Comparison: East and West Germany Per Capita Income and Growth Efficiency Stability Income Distribution Other Criteria Recommended ReadingsIndex