Mitchell Alexander Orenstein Book order (chronological)

When Vladimir Putin claimed “outside forces” influenced the Ukrainian Orange Revolution of 2004, it highlighted the significant impact of transnational actors in postcommunist countries. This uprising against election fraud was supported by a Western-funded democracy-building coalition that trained protesters in political organization and nonviolent resistance. Despite this, many theorists downplay the influence of transnational actors, with realists asserting that only powerful states hold sway and others suggesting these actors merely affect rhetoric, not policy outcomes. The editors of this volume argue that transnational actors have played a crucial role in postcommunist transitions, facilitating democracy, capitalism, and nation-statehood through the integration of Central and East European states into a complex international system. These actors, including international organizations, corporations, banks, foundations, religious groups, and activist networks, serve as the “dark matter” that binds the transition processes. While the European Union is the most prominent transnational actor in the region, others such as the OSCE, NATO, and the Catholic Church also contribute significantly. This collection of leading scholars debates the role and impact of these actors, offering a new research framework for understanding this rapidly evolving region.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, East-Central European countries embarked on a transformation into democratic capitalist societies, seeking strategies to implement radical market reforms amid emerging democratic politics. Poland adopted a neoliberal approach, aiming to implement extensive reforms quickly to avoid an antireform backlash. Conversely, the Czech Republic employed a social liberal strategy, blending neoliberal macroeconomic policies with social democratic measures to mitigate potential backlash. A detailed analysis of these two countries reveals that alternating strategies has been crucial to their success. This comparative case study highlights the importance of learning from reform mistakes during transitions and the benefits of policy alternation, illustrated through an in-depth examination of privatization policies. The author explores the historic challenges of establishing capitalism and democracy in the post-communist era and proposes a model explaining how democratic policy alternation can enhance policy learning under uncertain conditions. Accessible to a broad audience, this work is suitable for graduate and undergraduate courses in political economy and will interest economists, political scientists, sociologists, and those studying postcommunism and the interplay between capitalism and democracy today.