Globalization and the State in Central and Eastern Europe

Download Globalization and the State in Central and Eastern Europe PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 0415466032
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (154 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Globalization and the State in Central and Eastern Europe by : Jan Drahokoupil

Download or read book Globalization and the State in Central and Eastern Europe written by Jan Drahokoupil and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2009 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the transformation of the state in Central and Eastern Europe since the end of communism and adoption of market oriented reform in the early 1990s, exploring the impact of globalization and economic liberalization on the region’s states, societies and political economy. It compares the different policies and national strategies adopted by key Central and Eastern European states, including the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, showing how initial internally oriented strategies of market reform, privileging domestic sources of investment, had by the late 1990s given way to externally oriented strategies emphasising the promotion of competitiveness by attracting foreign investment. It explores the reasons behind this convergence, considering the influence of internal and external forces, and the roles of interests, institutions and ideas. It argues that internationalization of the state is forged in the processes through which domestic groups linked to transnational capital attain domestic influence necessary to shape state policy and strategy. These groups — the comprador service sector in particular — constitute and organize political, social and institutional support of the competition state in the region. Overall, this book not only provides a detailed account of the political economy of post-communist transformation in Central and Eastern Europe, but also the processes by which states adapt to the forces of globalization.

Globalization Under and After Socialism

Download Globalization Under and After Socialism PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Stanford University Press
ISBN 13 : 1503605981
Total Pages : 371 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (36 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Globalization Under and After Socialism by : Besnik Pula

Download or read book Globalization Under and After Socialism written by Besnik Pula and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2018-07-31 with total page 371 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The post-communist states of Central and Eastern Europe have gone from being among the world's most closed, autarkic economies to being some of the most export-oriented and globally integrated. While previous accounts have attributed this shift to post-1989 market reform policies, Besnik Pula sees the root causes differently. Reaching deeper into the region's history and comparatively examining its long-run industrial development, he locates critical junctures that forced the hands of Central and Eastern European elites and made them look at options beyond the domestic economy and the socialist bloc. In the 1970s, Central and Eastern European socialist leaders intensified engagements with the capitalist West in order to expand access to markets, technology, and capital. This shift began to challenge the Stalinist developmental model in favor of exports and transnational integration. A new reliance on exports launched the integration of Eastern European industry into value chains that cut across the East-West political divide. After 1989, these chains proved to be critical gateways to foreign direct investment and circuits of global capitalism. This book enriches our understanding of a regional shift that began well before the fall of the wall, while also explaining the distinct international roles that Central and Eastern European states have assumed in the globalized twenty-first century.

Transformation of Cities in Central and Eastern Europe

Download Transformation of Cities in Central and Eastern Europe PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : United Nations University Press
ISBN 13 : 9280811053
Total Pages : 539 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (88 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Transformation of Cities in Central and Eastern Europe by : F. E. Ian Hamilton

Download or read book Transformation of Cities in Central and Eastern Europe written by F. E. Ian Hamilton and published by United Nations University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 539 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annotation This volume is one in a series initiated by the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies on the inter-relationship between globalisation and urban transformation. It identifies and describes the inter- and intra-urban transformations of Central and Eastern European cities and considers their pre-1945 historic legacies, the socialist period, and their contemporary transition towards market oriented and democratic systems. The dramatic changes since 1989 including the collapse of Communist ideology, the break-up of the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the end of the Cold War and the impact of globalisation and European integration, have reconfigured this region and affected their re-integration into European and global networks. This book first examines the similarities and differences between significant Central and Eastern European cities, comparing the differing patterns of historical context and socialist legacies before 1990, and the impacts of internal and external forces on re-shaping these cities and their paths of transformation since 1990. It also examines the role of contemporary planning within the overall development of Central and Eastern European cities. The conclusion demonstrates the similarities and differences between Central and Eastern European cities and their re-integration into global networks.

Globalization, Nationalism, and Imperialism

Download Globalization, Nationalism, and Imperialism PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Central European University Press
ISBN 13 : 9633866022
Total Pages : 176 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (338 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Globalization, Nationalism, and Imperialism by : Jacek Lubecki

Download or read book Globalization, Nationalism, and Imperialism written by Jacek Lubecki and published by Central European University Press. This book was released on 2023-06-30 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors of this book retell the political and economic history of East-Central Europe, the post-communist Balkans, and the Baltic states and speculate about their future from the vantage point of three competing forces operating in the region: territorial imperialism, globalization, and nationalism. Exposed to imperial aspirations, the geographic area from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea has in the past 150 years been subject to alternating waves of globalization and nationalism. The nineteenth century Eastern European empires were open to forces of economic globalization, but all collapsed at the end of World War One. Emerging nation-states embraced the logic of Western-led globalization but were subjugated by Nazi and Soviet empires, which pursued policies of economic autarchy. The demise of the Soviet empire marked the revival of pre-1939 nation-states and the re-entry of forces of liberalism and globalization into the region, with multiple crises of economic transition, ethnic militancy, new forms of authoritarianism, and external security threats. By 2010 negative, nationalist-populist reactions against crises that globalization brought to Eastern Europe became the dominant political trend. The analysis involves the consideration about the very contemporary factors of Brexit and COVID, as well as Russia’s and China’s influences, and their effects on Eastern Europe.

Alternative Globalizations

Download Alternative Globalizations PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Indiana University Press
ISBN 13 : 0253046521
Total Pages : 346 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (53 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Alternative Globalizations by : James Mark

Download or read book Alternative Globalizations written by James Mark and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2020-02-11 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Globalization has become synonymous with the seemingly unfettered spread of capitalist multinationals, but this focus on the West and western economies ignores the wide variety of globalizing projects that sprang up in the socialist world as a consequence of the end of the European empires. This collection is the first to explore alternative forms of globalization across the socialist world during the Cold War. Gathering the work of established and upcoming scholars of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and China, Alternative Globalizations addresses the new relationships and interconnections which emerged between a decolonizing world in the postwar period and an increasingly internationalist eastern bloc after the death of Stalin. In many cases, the legacies of these former globalizing impulses from the socialist world still exist today. Divided into four sections, the works gathered examine the economic, political, developmental, and cultural aspects of this exchange. In doing so, the authors break new ground in exploring this understudied history of globalization and provide a multifaceted study of an increasing postwar interconnectedness across a socialist world.

From Central State to Free Global Market Economy

Download From Central State to Free Global Market Economy PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9401589550
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (15 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis From Central State to Free Global Market Economy by : C. Corsi

Download or read book From Central State to Free Global Market Economy written by C. Corsi and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-14 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some rapid and complex changes have taken place during recent years in the former Soviet Union. These incredible changes occurred not only in political policy and behavior, but also in social life and within framework of economic rules, especially the aspects concerning the key factor of new and advanced economies, which is based on Innovation Technology (IT). In fact, IT is becoming to be a key factor or, at least, the enzymatic factor necessary for activating asolid economy, based on advanced products and manufacturing, and with an incredible and unforeseeable impact on human lifestyle and wellbeing. This tool of development coupled to a world-wide movement towards a post-industrial era, with poorly defined economic, social and cultural boundaries is rapidly gaining support all over the world, supporting and creating a "global market". This globalization, intended as market expansion and flooding, is really a deeper and more complex phenomenon, surely mainly deriving from a cultural movement (the origin and aim ofthe use of IT as a tool for World Globalization). The process of globalization of the Innovation Market, which might have originated the economy failure of Eastern Europe with a risk of disintegration, is really the only way to solve the problem; therefore, the integration within the whole of Europe should be based on the paradigm of an Innovation Policy.

The Challenge Of Globalization And Institution Building

Download The Challenge Of Globalization And Institution Building PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000315169
Total Pages : 225 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (3 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Challenge Of Globalization And Institution Building by : Randall W. Kindley

Download or read book The Challenge Of Globalization And Institution Building written by Randall W. Kindley and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-07-11 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describing and analyzing the links between monetary policy and economic governance in small countries in both Western and Eastern Europe, this interdisciplinary volume demonstrates how interest groups shape monetary policy decisions in increasingly globalized financial markets. The contributors' findings hold great relevance even for large contries like the United States, which are now struggling with the challenges of internationalization. A diverse group of political scientists and economists, the contributors contend that although the small states have limited options, they are nonetheless able to make choices that enable their export industries to flourish in an environment of increasing internationalization. The authors conclude that lack of control over the future shape of monetary union in Europe is not inimical to future prosperity.

The Third Wave

Download The Third Wave PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN 13 : 0806186046
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (61 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Third Wave by : Samuel P. Huntington

Download or read book The Third Wave written by Samuel P. Huntington and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2012-09-06 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 1974 and 1990 more than thirty countries in southern Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and Eastern Europe shifted from authoritarian to democratic systems of government. This global democratic revolution is probably the most important political trend in the late twentieth century. In The Third Wave, Samuel P. Huntington analyzes the causes and nature of these democratic transitions, evaluates the prospects for stability of the new democracies, and explores the possibility of more countries becoming democratic. The recent transitions, he argues, are the third major wave of democratization in the modem world. Each of the two previous waves was followed by a reverse wave in which some countries shifted back to authoritarian government. Using concrete examples, empirical evidence, and insightful analysis, Huntington provides neither a theory nor a history of the third wave, but an explanation of why and how it occurred. Factors responsible for the democratic trend include the legitimacy dilemmas of authoritarian regimes; economic and social development; the changed role of the Catholic Church; the impact of the United States, the European Community, and the Soviet Union; and the "snowballing" phenomenon: change in one country stimulating change in others. Five key elite groups within and outside the nondemocratic regime played roles in shaping the various ways democratization occurred. Compromise was key to all democratizations, and elections and nonviolent tactics also were central. New democracies must deal with the "torturer problem" and the "praetorian problem" and attempt to develop democratic values and processes. Disillusionment with democracy, Huntington argues, is necessary to consolidating democracy. He concludes the book with an analysis of the political, economic, and cultural factors that will decide whether or not the third wave continues. Several "Guidelines for Democratizers" offer specific, practical suggestions for initiating and carrying out reform. Huntington's emphasis on practical application makes this book a valuable tool for anyone engaged in the democratization process. At this volatile time in history, Huntington's assessment of the processes of democratization is indispensable to understanding the future of democracy in the world.

Global Politics

Download Global Politics PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0745667813
Total Pages : 611 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (456 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Global Politics by : Anthony G. McGrew

Download or read book Global Politics written by Anthony G. McGrew and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-05-02 with total page 611 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This innovative new text is derived from a highly successful Open University course of the same title. It takes as a dominant theme the contested issue of ‘globalization’ (the apparent intensification of global patterns of inter-dependence) and its implications for the autonomy of the modern nation-state. Following a conceptual introduction, which critically examines the theoretical debates framing the study of world politics, the work is structured around four key processes of globalization which the authors identify as being the central determinants of contemporary global politics. These key processes are: the global impact of great power relations; the globalizing tendencies of technological innovation; the existence of a global economy; and the globalizing force of modernity. Reflecting this structure the text is organized into four discrete sections. Each section explores, both theoretically and empirically, one of the four processes of globalization. Throughout, particular attention is paid both to a critical evaluation of these globalizing processes as well as to their consequences for the sovereignty and autonomy of the modern nation-state. Moreover, the authors combine a lucid treatment of theoretical debates with topical case-study material to produce a text which is extremely accessible to undergraduate students studying international relations and politics and to those readers with little prior knowledge of world affairs.

Industries and Markets in Central and Eastern Europe

Download Industries and Markets in Central and Eastern Europe PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351155679
Total Pages : 226 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (511 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Industries and Markets in Central and Eastern Europe by : William T. Bagatelas

Download or read book Industries and Markets in Central and Eastern Europe written by William T. Bagatelas and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-11-30 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A combination of rigorous analysis and case material; this book is an essential guide to trade and industry developments in Central and Eastern Europe. Its scope encompasses globalization, the business strategies of MNCs, agriculture, services and the dynamics of innovation. It also considers the trading relationships of these countries with Russia as well as the influence of trade on the democratization of states formerly belonging to the USSR.

Socialism Goes Global

Download Socialism Goes Global PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0192665219
Total Pages : 376 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (926 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Socialism Goes Global by : James Mark

Download or read book Socialism Goes Global written by James Mark and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-12-23 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collectively written monograph is the first work to provide a broad history of the relationship between Eastern Europe and the decolonising world. It ranges from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth century, but at its core is the dynamic of the post-1945 period, when socialism's importance as a globalising force accelerated and drew together what contemporaries called the 'Second' and 'Third Worlds'. At the centre of this history is the encounter between the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe on one hand, and a wider world casting off European empires or struggling against western imperialism on the other. The origins of these connections are traced back to new forms of internationalism enabled by the Russian Revolution; the interplay between the first 'decolonisation' of the twentieth century in Eastern Europe and rising anti-colonial movements; and the global rise of fascism, which created new connections between East and South. The heart of the book, however, lies in the Cold War, when these contacts and relationships dramatically intensified. A common embrace of socialist modernisation and anti-imperial culture opened up possibilities for a new and meaningful exchange between the peripheries of Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. Such linkages are examined across many different fields - from health to archaeology, economic development to the arts - and through many people - from students to experts to labour migrants -who all helped to shape a different form and meaning of globalisation.

The Political Economy of the Eurozone in Central and Eastern Europe

Download The Political Economy of the Eurozone in Central and Eastern Europe PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 042953700X
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (295 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Political Economy of the Eurozone in Central and Eastern Europe by : Krisztina Arató

Download or read book The Political Economy of the Eurozone in Central and Eastern Europe written by Krisztina Arató and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-06-30 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The idea for this volume came from the enigma that some Central and Eastern European (CEE) European Union (EU) member states have been keen to join the Eurozone while others have shown persistent reluctance. Moreover, the attitudes towards joining have seemingly not correlated with either the level of economic development or the time spent as part of the EU, nor with any other rational reason such as the level of integration into the EU real economy, or the level of trust in the EU on the part of the public. Therefore, at first sight, the answer to the question ‘why in, why out?’ remains rather unclear. The attractiveness of the currency union has nevertheless not disappeared for the CEE countries. Despite the Eurozone crisis of 2010–13, it was during that time that the Baltic states introduced the euro. Then, after a few years of inactivity, Croatia and Bulgaria successfully applied for membership of the exchange rate mechanism in July 2020, amid the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. At the same time, the three Visegrad countries still using their national currencies – Poland, Czechia and Hungary – no longer have a target date to join the monetary union. This volume aims to discuss these issues from horizontal aspects and through country studies, with contributions from expert authors from, or closely related to, the CEE region.

The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State

Download The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 019162828X
Total Pages : 908 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (916 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State by : Francis G. Castles

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State written by Francis G. Castles and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2012-09-06 with total page 908 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State is the authoritative and definitive guide to the contemporary welfare state. In a volume consisting of nearly fifty newly-written chapters, a broad range of the world's leading scholars offer a comprehensive account of everything one needs to know about the modern welfare state. The book is divided into eight sections. It opens with three chapters that evaluate the philosophical case for (and against) the welfare state. Surveys of the welfare state 's history and of the approaches taken to its study are followed by four extended sections, running to some thirty-five chapters in all, which offer a comprehensive and in-depth survey of our current state of knowledge across the whole range of issues that the welfare state embraces. The first of these sections looks at inputs and actors (including the roles of parties, unions, and employers), the impact of gender and religion, patterns of migration and a changing public opinion, the role of international organisations and the impact of globalisation. The next two sections cover policy inputs (in areas such as pensions, health care, disability, care of the elderly, unemployment, and labour market activation) and their outcomes (in terms of inequality and poverty, macroeconomic performance, and retrenchment). The seventh section consists of seven chapters which survey welfare state experience around the globe (and not just within the OECD). Two final chapters consider questions about the global future of the welfare state. The individual chapters of the Handbook are written in an informed but accessible way by leading researchers in their respective fields giving the reader an excellent and truly up-to-date knowledge of the area under discussion. Taken together, they constitute a comprehensive compendium of all that is best in contemporary welfare state research and a unique guide to what is happening now in this most crucial and contested area of social and political development.

Globalization and the Future of the Welfare State

Download Globalization and the Future of the Welfare State PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Pittsburgh Press
ISBN 13 : 0822972697
Total Pages : 290 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (229 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Globalization and the Future of the Welfare State by : Miguel Glatzer

Download or read book Globalization and the Future of the Welfare State written by Miguel Glatzer and published by University of Pittsburgh Press. This book was released on 2004-12-20 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the last quarter of the twentieth century, the global political economy has undergone a profound transformation. Democracy has swept the globe, and both rich and developing nations must compete in an increasingly integrated world economy. How are social welfare policies being affected by this wave of economic globalization? Leading researchers explore the complex question in this new comparative study. Shifting their focus from the more commonly studied, established welfare states of northwestern Europe, the authors of Globalization and the Future of the Welfare State examine policy development in the middle-income countries of southern and eastern Europe, Latin America, Russia, and East Asia. Previous investigations into the effects of globalization on welfare states have generally come to one of two conclusions. The first is that a global economy undermines existing welfare states and obstructs new developments in social policy, as generous provisions place a burden on a nation's resources and its ability to compete in the international marketplace. In contrast, the second builds on the finding that economic openness is positively correlated with greater social spending, which suggests that globalization and welfare states can be mutually reinforcing. Here the authors find that globalization and the success of the welfare state are by no means as incompatible as the first view implies. The developing countries analyzed demonstrate that although there is great variability across countries and regions, domestic political processes and institutions play key roles in managing the disruptions wrought by globalization.

Globalization, Security, and the Nation State

Download Globalization, Security, and the Nation State PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : State University of New York Press
ISBN 13 : 0791483487
Total Pages : 292 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (914 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Globalization, Security, and the Nation State by : Ersel Aydinli

Download or read book Globalization, Security, and the Nation State written by Ersel Aydinli and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume studies the links among the concepts of globalization, security, and the authority of the nation state, drawing attention to why and how these three concepts are interrelated and why they should be studied together. Contributors explore the connections between security and global transformations, and the corresponding or resulting changes in state structures that emerge. Probing and extending existing paradigms, the book offers three regional cases studies: the periphery states of the Middle East and North Africa, the second world states of the Russian Federation, and the core states of the European Union. It concludes with three chapters that synthesize the above themes to identify corresponding changes in the patterns of international politics.

On the East-West Slope

Download On the East-West Slope PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Central European University Press
ISBN 13 : 6155053774
Total Pages : 232 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (55 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis On the East-West Slope by : Attila Melegh

Download or read book On the East-West Slope written by Attila Melegh and published by Central European University Press. This book was released on 2006-02-10 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Melegh's work offers a powerful analysis of the sociological and symbolic meanings of East-West in Europe after the end of the Cold War. Melegh exposes the underbelly of liberal characterizations of East-West, highlighting the polarizing effect of extreme nationalism and ethnic racism. The theoretical underpinnings of this work involve the ideas of preeminent theorists such as Karl Mannheim, Michel Foucault and more recently Maria Todorova and Iver Neumann. The importance of this work lies in its ability to cast into fine relief how the "East-West Slope" oriented negatively from West to East has emerged from liberal characterizations of this project. In addition this is one of the first attempts to link post-colonial analysis to developments in Eastern Europe.

Revolution In East-central Europe

Download Revolution In East-central Europe PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000310035
Total Pages : 210 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (3 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Revolution In East-central Europe by : David S Mason

Download or read book Revolution In East-central Europe written by David S Mason and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-06-26 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The year 1989 marked a turning point in world history, a watershed year of unprecedented drama and political significance. No matter how one looks at those events–as the fall of communism, the democratization of Eastern Europe, or the end of the cold war–it is important to understand how the world travelled the distance of time, space, and ideology to arrive at the Berlin Wall and tear it down. David Mason provides that understanding in a concise synthesis of history, politics, economics, sociology, literature, philosophy, and popular, as well as traditional, culture. He shows how all these elements combined to yield the year that effectively closed the twentieth century–and promised to launch the new century on a hopeful note. Starting with Poland's elections in June 1989, the countries of then-communist Eastern Europe one by one revolutionized their governments and their polities; Hungary opened its borders to the West, East Germany rushed through, Czechoslovakia elected Vaclav Havel president, Bulgaria changed both party and leadership, and Romania executed Ceausescu. Although Gorbachev enabled many of these changes, he did not cause them. The illumination of the complex symbiosis between dynamics in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union is one of the greatest contributions this book makes. With undercurrents emphasizing the power of ideas, the spirit of youth, and the multifaceted force of culture and ethnicity, Mason takes the reader far beyond the events of change and into their impetus and outcomes. He applies theories of social movements, democratization, and economic transition with an even hand, showing the interaction of their effects not only regionally but worldwide. The concluding chapter puts the revolutions in Eastern Europe into international perspective and highlights their impact on East-West relations, security alliances, and economic integration. Mason discusses the European Community, the United States and the Soviet Union, and the Third World in relation to the new East-Central European configuration. Using delightful and provocative cartoons from Eastern European and Soviet presses, interesting photos, valuable tables of data, and illuminating figures, Mason emphasizes important points about the role of nationalism, ethnicity, public opinion, and harsh economic reality in the revolutionary process.