The course offers a comparative perspective on the political and economic development of post-communist countries. It begins with an analysis of the socialist system, its development, and crisis, and proceeds to the problems of post-communist economic transformation,covering Central and Eastern Europe, China, Vietnam and other countries. The main questions to be discussed are: What led to the creation of the communist economic system? What were the main political influences? How did the communist system operate? Was the system reformable? How did the transformation take place after the collapse of communist rule? What is the role of democracy? Why did some states become market oriented democracies, while others failed to reform or reverted to command economy dictatorships?

The course offers a comparative perspective on the political and economic development of post-communist countries. It begins with an analysis of the socialist system, its development, and crisis, and proceeds to the problems of post-communist economic transformation,covering Central and Eastern Europe, China, Vietnam and other countries. The main questions to be discussed are: What led to the creation of the communist economic system? What were the main political influences? How did the communist system operate? Was the system reformable? How did the transformation take place after the collapse of communist rule? What is the role of democracy? Why did some states become market oriented democracies, while others failed to reform or reverted to command economy dictatorships?