The Polish Economy (ebook)

Argumento de The Polish Economy (ebook)

In 1989, Poland became the first Eastern Bloc country to shake off the dominance of its ruling Communist party. Although other post-Communist countries have since followed suit, Poland's experience has been unique in its move to Westernize. In this timely and insightful account, Ben Slay provides the first integrated, comprehensive assessment of Poland's economic transformation from central planning to a market system, and the political and sociological factors that have contributed to it. Drawing on the work of Western and Polish scholars as well as his own research, Slay traces the evolution of the Polish transformation from its historical roots in People's Poland and predicts potential problems and successes facing the Polish economy.

A ground-breaking addition to the emerging study of post- Communist political economies, The Polish Economy demonstrates that other countries now struggling to join the West have much to learn from Poland's example. Of interest to scholars across the social sciences, this work provides general as well as professional readers with a compelling account of the realities behind one of the most important events of our time--the collapse of the Eastern Bloc.

Originally published in 1994.

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"It is Slay's rooting of modern Polish history in Poland's complex past and emphasis on the forces of continuity which distinguishes this analysis of a former communist economy from those whose framework is simply one of the transition from 'socialism' to 'capitalism', as though history began in 1948. As Slay shows, there is plenty in Poland's past which has echoes in the present.... This excellent and highly readable book offers a well-balanced assessment."--Financial Times0List of Tables List of Acronyms A Chronology of the Transition, 1989-1993 Preface Introduction 3 Ch. I The Polish Crisis and Polish Socialism 9 The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Partitions 9 The Rise and Fall of the Second Republic 14 The Establishment of Socialism 21 Stalinism and the Polish October 27 From October to December: The Gomulka Years 31 Gierek's "New Development Strategy" and the WOG Reform 36 The Collapse of the New Development Strategy 43 The Democratic Opposition and the Birth of Solidarity 46 Ch. II Crisis and Reform in the 1980s 50 Martial Law and the "First Stage" of Economic Reform 50 The "Second Stage" of Economic Reform: 1986-1988 65 Political Reform during the Second Stage 70 The Roundtable Agreements 72 The Private Sector in the 1980s 75 Economic Performance in the 1980s 79 The Legacies of the Reforms of the 1980s 85 Ch. III Crisis and Economic Transformation, 1990-1992 86 The Origins of the Balcerowicz Plan 89 The Balcerowicz Plan in 1990 91 The Balcerowicz Plan in 1991 98 Privatization in Poland 1990-1992 102 Between "Breakthrough" and "Continuity" in 1992 111 The Politics of the Economic Transition, 1989-1993 120 Is the Polish Crisis Over? 132 Ch. IV Transformations in Key Markets and Sectors 138 Industry 138 Agriculture 144 Banking, Capital, and Financial Markets 149 Labor Markets and Social Policy 156 External Economic Relations 166 Ch. V The Lessons of the Polish Transition 176 How Does Poland Compare? 176 Lessons of the Polish Experience 178 Notes 189 Bibliography 207 Index 227