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A Normal Country

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  • Andrei Shleifer
  • Daniel Treisman

Abstract

During the 1990s, Russia underwent an extraordinary transformation from a communist dictatorship to a multi-party democracy, from a centrally planned economy to a market economy, and from a belligerent adversary of the West to a cooperative partner. Yet a consensus in the US circa 2000 viewed Russia as a disastrous and threatening failure, and the 1990s as a decade of catastrophe for its citizens. Analyzing a variety of economic and political data, we demonstrate a large gap between this perception and the facts. In contrast to the common image, by the late 1990s Russia had become a typical middle- income capitalist democracy.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrei Shleifer & Daniel Treisman, 2003. "A Normal Country," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 2019, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:fth:harver:2019
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    File URL: http://www.economics.harvard.edu/pub/hier/2003/HIER2019.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Djankov, Simeon & et al, 2003. "Who Owns the Media?," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 46(2), pages 341-381, October.
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    3. Karla Hoff & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2004. "After the Big Bang? Obstacles to the Emergence of the Rule of Law in Post-Communist Societies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(3), pages 753-763, June.
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    5. Kevin M. Murphy & Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1992. "The Transition to a Market Economy: Pitfalls of Partial Reform," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 107(3), pages 889-906.
    6. Olivier Blanchard & Michael Kremer, 1997. "Disorganization," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 112(4), pages 1091-1126.
    7. Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez-De-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 1999. "Corporate Ownership Around the World," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(2), pages 471-517, April.
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    9. Mara Faccio, 2006. "Politically Connected Firms," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 369-386, March.
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    11. Milanovic, Branko, 1998. "Explaining the increase in inequality during the transition," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1935, The World Bank.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Steven Rosefielde, 2005. "Russia: An Abnormal Country," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 2(1), pages 3-16, June.
    2. Nina Cankar & Simon Deakin & Marko Simoneti, 2008. "The Reflexive Properties of Corporate Governance Codes: The Reception of the 'Comply or Explain' Approach in Slovenia," Working Papers wp371, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.
    3. Corinna Manig & Alessio Moneta, 2014. "More or better? Measuring quality versus quantity in food consumption," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 155-178, July.
    4. Iwasaki, Ichiro & Dolgopyatova, Tatiana & Yakovlev, Andrei & Bruno, Dallago, 2004. "Corporate Governance in Transition Economies. Part 1: The Case of Russia," Discussion Paper Series b29, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    5. Karla Hoff & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2004. "After the Big Bang? Obstacles to the Emergence of the Rule of Law in Post-Communist Societies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(3), pages 753-763, June.
    6. Elizabeth Brainerd & David M. Cutler, 2005. "Autopsy on an Empire: Understanding Mortality in Russia and the Former Soviet Union," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(1), pages 107-130, Winter.
    7. Glushchenko Konstantin, 2004. "Integration of the Russian Market. Empirical Analysis," EERC Working Paper Series 04-06e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.
    8. Anwar Shah, 2006. "Corruption and Decentralized Public Governance," Chapters,in: Handbook of Fiscal Federalism, chapter 19 Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Phyllis Dininio & Robert W. Orttung, 2004. "Explaining Patterns of Corruption in the Russian Regions," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 727, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • P2 - Economic Systems - - Socialist Systems and Transition Economies
    • P3 - Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions

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