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Culture, democracy, and market reforms: Evidence from transition countries

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  • Tarabar, Danko

Abstract

Transition countries differed widely in the extent to which they implemented market reforms. This paper empirically investigates the role of culture as a potential determinant of market reform adoption among the post-socialist economies of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. I examine an unbalanced panel of up to 21 transition countries over the period 1989–2001 and estimate the relationship between different cultural typologies and the adoption of liberalizing reforms. I report that a sense of individualism and intolerance for unequal dispersion of power within societies are robustly associated with greater market reform efforts. Only limited evidence exists for the influence of other cultural attitudes.

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  • Tarabar, Danko, 2017. "Culture, democracy, and market reforms: Evidence from transition countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 456-480.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:45:y:2017:i:3:p:456-480
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2017.03.005
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    5. Inácio Araúgo & Randall Jackson & Amir B. Ferreira Neto & Fernando Perobelli, 2018. "Environmental Costs of European Union Membership: A Structural Decomposition Analysis," Working Papers Working Paper 2018-04, Regional Research Institute, West Virginia University.
    6. Danko Tarabar & Javier E. Portillo, 2021. "Does Culture Affect Electoral Outcomes? Evidence From Transition Countries," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(1), pages 141-155, January.
    7. Matuszak Piotr, 2020. "What determines the scale of state ownership in enterprises? Some evidence from post-socialist countries," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 6(4), pages 95-117, December.
    8. Claudia R. Williamson, 2021. "Culture, democracy and regulation," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 98-126, March.
    9. Graafland, Johan & de Jong, Eelke, 2022. "The moderating role of culture on the benefits of economic freedom: Cross-country analysis," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 280-292.
    10. Araújo, Inácio Fernandes de & Jackson, Randall W. & Ferreira Neto, Amir B. & Perobelli, Fernando S., 2020. "European union membership and CO2 emissions: A structural decomposition analysis," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 190-203.
    11. Kafka, Kyriaki I. & Kostis, Pantelis C., 2021. "Post-materialism and economic growth: Cultural backlash, 1981–2019," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 901-917.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transition; Culture; Market reform; Hofstede; Schwartz; Democratization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P21 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Planning, Coordination, and Reform
    • P26 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Property Rights
    • P30 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - General
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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