From Communism to Democracy Essays -- Government Politics Essays

From Communism to Democracy More than half a decade has passed since the sweeping political events of 1989 and 1990 in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. On December 26, 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceased to exist . In its place are the Russian federation and 14 independent countries. The impact of this change was felt across the globe, from European countries with close economic ties with the USSR to countries as far away as Cuba and Algeria. The former republics experienced the hardest time in their existence, and entered a new period of their history. Independence meant a new life for people, but not many of them expected the results. At the time sovereignty was not clearly stated, and nobody could predict what ramifications would follow. The inhabitants of the region have had to balance the positive and negative aspects of the change. Most countries were left with nothing, and they had to start everything from the very beginning. As Shor in Nations in Transit stated, for many, democracy, freedom of association, and the removal of the Soviet bureaucracy have had a positive impact. But economic uncertainty, hunger, and poverty also increased. The former republics struggle to maintain the value of the money and a decent level of life for the citizens, but the attempt to do so is failing. Many branches of the new economy are still socialized, and reforms are necessary to fulfill a change. People think that a change from communism to democracy should bring a better life, but in reality those countries suffer a period of stagnation. There are many causes for such a situation, which are revealed in different aspects of life and history. The principles of communism p... ...nge, than the reality of raw political power. Economic and democratic reforms are complementary and heavily correlated. Countries with consolidated market economies, guided by the rule of law also made progress in consolidating their transition to democracy. A transition from Communism to Democracy means more freedoms and choices, but it also needs time. Political and economic freedom means more predictable, more transparent, more constitutional, less discriminatory, and less corruption-prone lawmaking and enforcement. An authorian government can hardly engage in economic reforms, or undergo a transition to liberal democracy, without simultaneously undergoing free market economic reforms. Author: Valentin Antoci (ed_valentine@hotmail.com) February 1999 Reproduction of the Text without the author's permition is considered plagiarism and is punishable by law. From Communism to Democracy Essays -- Government Politics Essays From Communism to Democracy More than half a decade has passed since the sweeping political events of 1989 and 1990 in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. On December 26, 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceased to exist . In its place are the Russian federation and 14 independent countries. The impact of this change was felt across the globe, from European countries with close economic ties with the USSR to countries as far away as Cuba and Algeria. The former republics experienced the hardest time in their existence, and entered a new period of their history. Independence meant a new life for people, but not many of them expected the results. At the time sovereignty was not clearly stated, and nobody could predict what ramifications would follow. The inhabitants of the region have had to balance the positive and negative aspects of the change. Most countries were left with nothing, and they had to start everything from the very beginning. As Shor in Nations in Transit stated, for many, democracy, freedom of association, and the removal of the Soviet bureaucracy have had a positive impact. But economic uncertainty, hunger, and poverty also increased. The former republics struggle to maintain the value of the money and a decent level of life for the citizens, but the attempt to do so is failing. Many branches of the new economy are still socialized, and reforms are necessary to fulfill a change. People think that a change from communism to democracy should bring a better life, but in reality those countries suffer a period of stagnation. There are many causes for such a situation, which are revealed in different aspects of life and history. The principles of communism p... ...nge, than the reality of raw political power. Economic and democratic reforms are complementary and heavily correlated. Countries with consolidated market economies, guided by the rule of law also made progress in consolidating their transition to democracy. A transition from Communism to Democracy means more freedoms and choices, but it also needs time. Political and economic freedom means more predictable, more transparent, more constitutional, less discriminatory, and less corruption-prone lawmaking and enforcement. An authorian government can hardly engage in economic reforms, or undergo a transition to liberal democracy, without simultaneously undergoing free market economic reforms. Author: Valentin Antoci (ed_valentine@hotmail.com) February 1999 Reproduction of the Text without the author's permition is considered plagiarism and is punishable by law.