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POLSCI334 FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE
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POLSCI334 FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE
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POLSCI334 FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDEMost of the "revolutions" in Eastern Europe were peaceful, as state-socialism seemed
to "collapse" rather than be overthrown. Know how the "regime change" of 1989-91
happened in your two countries (8A), whether pressure to change was "top down" or
"bottom up." Who were some of the principle players in the collapse, both world leaders
and simple people? - Answers-Poland's transition was "bottom up" through the
Solidarity movement, during which shipyard workers went on strike and demanded 21
pieces of reform. General Jaruzelski was a key player in that he declared martial law to
end the Solidarity movement. Although it was abolished in 1983, it still remained active
underground, and in 1989 they won the majority of the seats in the "free" elections, with
Lech Walesa becoming the first president.
Romania's transition was also "bottom up", with the oblivious Ceauşescus being
overthrown by pan-Romanian protests, further ignited by police violence. However,
former communists took power after Nicolae Ceauşescu, so communism was not fully
renounced until the early 2000's.
Why has "post-socialism" been treated as a Global condition, rather than something
restricted to eastern Europe? What was the wider economic context of the late 1980s
and 1990s (globalization, neoliberal reform), and how did the collapse of state-socialism
affect it? - Answers-In the late 1980's and early 1990's, there was a movement of
transformation globally that both impacted and was impacted by the collapse of state
socialism. For example, capitalism experienced an economic shift from Fordism to post-
fordism. Neoliberal economic policies took the West by storm, particularly championed
by Reagan and Thatcher. Finally, globalization was occurring on a massive scale with
the rise of computers and other technological advancements. While these changes
occurred in the West and impacted the transition into democratic capitalism in Eastern
Europe, Eastern Europe's transition was seen as a "triumph" of capitalism over
communism, effectively green lighting neoliberal "globalization" everywhere.
Scholars have argued that using "transition" as a way to describe what was happening
in Eastern Europe after 1989/1990 was problematic. Why? - Answers-"Transition" as a
concept assumes three things, each of which reproduce Cold War binary oppositions.
First, the Theory of History: people believed that the transition out of communism leads
naturally to democratic capitalism. Second, the Cold War divide: people see
communism and capitalism as diametrically opposed and irreconcilable, concluding that
no "third way" is possible. Third, privileges and comparisons of "transitions": this comes
at the expense of historical and geographic particularity. Therefore,
Capitalism/West/Good is seen as absorbing Communism/East/Bad.
Why did neoliberalism triumph and endure in Eastern Europe? What were some of the
requirements made by the World Bank, the IMF and other economic institutions, as a
condition for receiving development loans? How did competition for foreign investment
play a role? - Answers-Neoliberalism triumphed and endured in Eastern Europe
primarily due to two external factors. First, the World Bank, IMF, and other economic
, institutions provided national assistance, but those loans predicated on implementing
reforms (neoliberal ones, specifically), so if these Eastern European countries wanted
funding, they had to conform to these institutions' economic policies. Second,
competition for foreign investment played a role in that foreign countries primarily
invested in countries implementing reforms. Therefore, those that wanted the extra
assistance and to be further integrated with the West necessarily had to implement
neoliberal reforms.
What were some ways in which the new, democratic "state" lost legitimacy and power?
—Privatization of assets, decentralization: unemployment, loss of revenue, etc. -
Answers-Privatization led to the loss of state revenues, which made the funding for
state social safety nets disappear. Additionally, decentralization led to regional
inequalities, which led to resentment from the people. Employment rates skyrocketed
alongside inflation, which led to disruption, radical upheaval, and uncertainty.
What were some ways in which the new, democratic "state" lost legitimacy and power?
— Transformed social contract: "freedom" in exchange for "rights to." - Answers-People
felt abandoned by the state when certain "rights to" disappeared (since there was no
longer the expectation for an exchange for work for the socialist collective), and there
was little assistance or social safety nets for people,
What were some ways in which the new, democratic "state" lost legitimacy and power?
— Loss of security, safety (crime, economic security, etc.) - Answers-Regular police
were greatly under-funded during the post-socialism years, as crime rates soared.
What were some ways in which the new, democratic "state" lost legitimacy and power?
— Failure to provide conditions for a "normal life." - Answers-A "normal life" was an ideal
shared by both East and West Europeans, which was thought to be a modest and
reasonable expectation for Fordist employment, stability, and a life cycle of
improvement.
Across eastern Europe, privatizations schemes were about much more than just
transferring state assets to private owners. What did new states attempt to achieve
through privatization? - Answers-Privatization was seen as central to a "free" or "open"
market economy, therefore states transferred state assets to private owners. Not only
was this a project to change the economy, but it was seen as a way to right old wrongs
and build a nation.
Residential property: Know the difference between "restitution" and "compensation"? -
Answers-Restitution, best exemplified by the Czech Republic, is a process in which the
property is restored to any legal "heir" to property taken. This is also a nation-building
project, for it prioritizes those who still lived in the country and certain ethnic groups over
others. Compensation, best exemplified by Hungary, meanwhile, was a process in
which the state offered compensation for lost property in the form of compensation
coupons. This was the ideal path forward for Hungary, which has $21 billion in national
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