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Everyone hates privatization, but why? Survey evidence from 28 post-communist countries

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  • Denisova, Irina
  • Eller, Markus
  • Frye, Timothy
  • Zhuravskaya, Ekaterina

Abstract

Studies of mass support for economic reform reveal a simple conclusion: Everyone hates privatization. Yet whether respondents hold this view due to a preference for state property or concerns about the legitimacy of privatization is unclear. We test these arguments using a 2006 survey of 28,000 individuals in 28 post-communist countries and find that a lack of human capital affects support for revising privatization primarily via a preference for state property over private property; whereas transition-related hardships influence support for revising privatization due to both a preference for state property and concerns about the legitimacy of privatization. These results suggest the value of analyses that not only link respondent traits with support for policy, but that also probe the motivations that underpin this support. They also indicate that opposition to privatization should not be equated with support for renationalization.

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  • Denisova, Irina & Eller, Markus & Frye, Timothy & Zhuravskaya, Ekaterina, 2012. "Everyone hates privatization, but why? Survey evidence from 28 post-communist countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 44-61.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:40:y:2012:i:1:p:44-61
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2011.11.001
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    2. Kowalski, Tadeusz, 2013. "Globalization and Transformation in Central European Countries: The Case of Poland," MPRA Paper 59306, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Ivanović, Vladan & Kufenko, Vadim, 2020. "It's a man's world? The rise of female entrepreneurship during privatization in Serbia," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 07-2020, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    4. Pyle, William, 2020. "Russians’ "impressionable years" : life experience during the exit from communism and Putin-era beliefs," BOFIT Discussion Papers 17/2020, Bank of Finland, Institute for Economies in Transition.
    5. William Pyle, 2020. "Russians' "Impressionable Years": Life Experience during the Exit from Communism and Putin-Era Beliefs," CESifo Working Paper Series 8379, CESifo.
    6. Afontsev, S., 2013. "Privatize or Not? Escaping Budget Temptation and Nirvana Fallacy," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 20(4), pages 150-153.
    7. Chao-yo Cheng & Johannes Urpelainen, 2016. "Unawareness and indifference to economic reform among the public: evidence from India’s power sector reform," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 211-239, August.
    8. Sergei Guriev & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, 2009. "(Un)happiness in Transition," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 23(2), pages 143-168, Spring.
    9. Voszka, Éva, 2015. "Államosítás, privatizáció és gazdaságpolitika - a főirány széttöredezése [Nationalization and privatization - in the shadow of changing paradigms of economic policy]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(7), pages 717-748.
    10. Sirovátka, Tomáš & Guzi, Martin & Saxonberg, Steve, 2019. "Support for Market Economy Principles in European Post-Communist Countries during 1999–2008," MPRA Paper 97585, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Vladan Ivanović & Vadim Kufenko & Boris Begović & Nenad Stanišić & Vincent Geloso, 2019. "Continuity Under a Different Name: The Outcome of Privatisation in Serbia," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(2), pages 159-180, March.
    12. Senderski, Marcin, 2015. "Inhibited privatization: a hurdle race over vested interests," MPRA Paper 65482, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Elodie Douarin, 2021. "Institutional Change in Transition: An Evolving Research Agenda," Springer Books, in: Elodie Douarin & Oleh Havrylyshyn (ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Comparative Economics, chapter 17, pages 429-457, Springer.
    14. Marcin Senderski, 2015. "Inhibited privatization: a hurdle race over vested interests," European Journal of Government and Economics, Europa Grande, vol. 4(1), pages 46-66, June.
    15. Castañeda Dower, Paul & Markevich, Andrei, 2014. "A history of resistance to privatization in Russia," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 855-873.
    16. Polterovich (Полтерович), Victor (Виктор), 2012. "Приватизация И Рациональная Структура Собственности. Часть 1. Приватизация: Проблема Эффективности [Privatization and the rational ownership structure. Part 1: privatization: the effeciency problem," MPRA Paper 64145, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Voszka, Éva, 2013. "Államosítás, privatizáció, államosítás [Nationalization, privatization, nationalization]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(12), pages 1289-1317.
    18. Polterovich, Victor, 2012. "Приватизация И Рациональная Структура Собственности. Часть 1. Приватизация: Проблема Эффективности [Privatization and the rational ownership structure. Part 1: privatization: the effeciency problem," MPRA Paper 64371, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Polterovich, Victor, 2016. "Институциональные Реформы И Гражданская Культура [Institutional Reforms and Civic Culture]," MPRA Paper 71658, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Cancho,Cesar A. & Davalos,Maria Eugenia & Sanchez,Carolina, 2015. "Why so gloomy ? perceptions of economic mobility in Europe and Central Asia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7519, The World Bank.
    21. Irina Denisova, 2016. "Institutions and the support for market reforms," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 258-258, May.
    22. Del Bo, Chiara D. & Ferraris, Matteo & Florio, Massimo, 2017. "Governments in the market for corporate control: Evidence from M&A deals involving state-owned enterprises," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 89-109.
    23. Polterovich, Victor, 2012. "Приватизация и рациональная структура собственности (Privatizatsiya i ratsional’naya struktura sobstvennosti) [Privatization and the Rational Ownership Structure]," MPRA Paper 41069, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    24. Michaël Aklin & Patrick Bayer & S. Harish & Johannes Urpelainen, 2014. "Information and energy policy preferences: a survey experiment on public opinion about electricity pricing reform in rural India," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 305-327, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Privatization; Revision; Nationalization; Legitimacy of property rights; Transition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access
    • L33 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Comparison of Public and Private Enterprise and Nonprofit Institutions; Privatization; Contracting Out
    • P36 - Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty

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