Economic Reforms in New Democracies A Social-Democratic Approach

This 1993 book assesses differing experiences of the transition to democracy in the countries of Southern Europe, Latin America and Eastern Europe. The authors try to determine what the conditions for successful transitions are. They argue against the 'big bang' approach, espoused by many advisors to reforming countries, on the grounds that this approach bypasses the newly formed institutions of democracy and, ultimately, may undermine the necessary consensus to support painful economic reforms. The most successful reforms, they argue, have been those agreed upon through a process of democratic negotiation. A new democracy must offer politically important groups incentives to process their demands within the democratic institutional framework; otherwise, their support will be tenuous and the system may collapse under the strains incurred by painful economic reforms.

Introduction; 1. Economic reforms and economic growth: efficiency and politics in Latin America Luiz Carlos Bresser Pereira; 2. Politics and policy: economic reforms in Southern Europe José María Marawall; 3. Economic reforms, public opinion, and political institutions: Poland in the Eastern European perspective Adam Przeworski; Conclusion; Author index; Subject index.

This 1993 book assesses differing experiences of the transition to democracy in the countries of Southern Europe, Latin America and Eastern Europe. The most successful reforms, the authors argue, have been those agreed upon through a process of democratic negotiation rather than the 'big bang' approach which by passes democratic institutions.