| How Ukraine Became a Market Economy and Democracy Contributor(s): Åslund, Anders (Author) |
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ISBN: 0881324272 ISBN-13: 9780881324273 Publisher: Peterson Institute for International Economic OUR PRICE: $26.68 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: March 2009 Annotation: One of Europe's old nations steeped in history, today Ukraine is an undisputed independent state. Ukraine's postcommunist transition has been one of the most protracted and socially costly, but it has taken the country to a desirable destination: It is a democracy and has transformed into a market economy with predominant private ownership. In this clear, accessible account of Ukraine's political and economic metamorphosis, noted expert on the postcommunist transformation Anders Aslund provides a chronological guide to the evolution of a country known for its diverse regions. Aslund identifies the protagonists and leaders who have formed the country's regimes and analyzes how constant governmental transitions have affected the achievement of a parliamentary-based system. The author presents an easy-to-read analysis that documents the country's transformation and assesses the ultimate repercussions of this gradual political rebirth on Ukraine's governmental and societal architecture. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Russia & The Former Soviet Union - Business & Economics | Economic History - Political Science | Political Economy |
| Dewey: 330.947 |
| LCCN: 2008052694 |
| Physical Information: 0.9" H x 5.9" W x 8.9" (1.15 lbs) 345 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Eastern Europe - Chronological Period - 1990's - Chronological Period - 21st Century - Cultural Region - Russia |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: One of Europe's old nations steeped in history, Ukraine is today an undisputed independent state. It is a democracy and has transformed into a market economy with predominant private ownership. Ukraine's postcommunist transition has been one of the most protracted and socially costly, but it has taken the country to a desirable destination. slund's vivid account of Ukraine's journey begins with a brief background, where he discusses the implications of Ukraine's history, the awakening of society because of Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms, the early democratization, and the impact of the ill-fated Soviet economic reforms. He then turns to the reign of President Leonid Kravchuk from 1991 to 1994, the only salient achievement of which was nation-building, while the economy collapsed in the midst of hyperinflation. The first two years of Leonid Kuchma's presidency, from 1994 to 1996, were characterized by substantial achievements, notably financial stabilization and mass privatization. The period 1996-99 was a miserable period of policy stagnation, rent seeking, and continued economic decline. In 2000 hope returned to Ukraine. Viktor Yushchenko became prime minister and launched vigorous reforms to cleanse the economy from corruption, and economic growth returned. The ensuing period, 2001-04, amounted to a competitive oligarchy. It was quite pluralist, although repression increased. Economic growth was high. The year 2004 witnessed the most joyful period in Ukraine, the Orange Revolution, which represented Ukraine's democratic breakthrough, with Yushchenko as its hero. The postrevolution period, however, has been characterized by great domestic political instability; a renewed, explicit Russian threat to Ukraine's sovereignty; and a severe financial crisis. The answers to these challenges lie in how soon the European Union fully recognizes Ukraine's long-expressed identity as a European state, how swiftly Ukraine improves its malfunctioning constitutional order, and how promptly it addresses corruption. |
