This paper starts by separating the transformational recession (reduction of output in most transition economies in the first half of the 1990s) from the process of economic growth (recovery from the transformational recession) in 28 transition economies (including China, Vietnam and Mongolia)....

The city-state of Singapore is a rare case of market autocracy. The government systematically suppresses political dissent through its courts and legislature, and political power is concentrated almost entirely in the hands of a small governing body: the Cabinet of Ministers. At the same time,...

The collapse of the Cuban economy following the cessation of Soviet assistance gave way to a strong recovery in 1994-96. There are three possible explanations for this recovery: (i) that it never took place; (ii) that it reflected a surge in productivity resulting from stabilization and...

The aim of this study is to assess current economic situation of 28 post-socialist countries in Europe and Asia undergoing systemic transformation towards an open market economy, their macroeconomic policies and the progress of structural reforms. We focus on the situation seen in 2009 and the...

The aim of this study is to assess current economic situation of 28 post-socialist countries in Europe and Asia undergoing systemic transformation towards an open market economy, their macroeconomic policies and the progress of structural reforms. We focus on the situation prevailing in 2008 and...

Reforms often occur in waves, seemingly cascading from country to country. We argue that such reform waves may be driven by informational spillovers: uncertainty about the outcome of reform is reduced by learning from the experience of similar countries. We motivate this hypothesis with a simple...