This paper analyzes the economic growth trajectories of post-communist countries that emerged following the collapse of the USSR. I treat the Soviet Union's sudden dissolution as a natural experiment that triggered rapid institutional changes, providing a unique opportunity to iso- late...

Uzbekistan has made significant progress in its transition to a market economy since 2017, achieving advancements in macroeconomic stabilization, trade and exchange rate liberalization, price liberalization, and small-scale privatization. Despite these successes, challenges remain in reforming...

We investigate the broad economic impact of accession in the case of 13 countries who joined the European Union starting with 2004, by comparing them with both EU and non-EU countries. Using 25 years of data, we document significant post-accession improvements in productivity and/or GDP per...

Over a quarter of the world’s population lives in countries that have undertaken transitions from central planning to some form of market-based coordination. These transitions entail far-reaching and complex economic and institutional changes and have had widely divergent trajectories....

Governments foster conducive conditions for entrepreneurs through functioning free markets and good governance. In most post-Soviet countries, these conditions are still missing. Lack of political will combined with a detrimental Soviet legacy towards entrepreneurs continues to stunt...