On its publication in 1985, this book offered a fresh analysis of the problems faced by the Soviet economy by focussing on the key issues in the economic planning system. David Dyker considers the available options for reform during the 1980s and the most likely developments. Discussing the origins of the Soviet economic planning system and the theories which founded it, previous attempts to reform the organisational structure and the particular problem of agriculture, Dyker presents a picture of an increasingly bleak future for the Soviet economy. This is a comprehensive title written by a renowned expert on the Soviet economy, which will be of particular value to students and academics researching the political and economic development and history of the Soviet Union.

Sixteen years after the Soviet Union's demise, the Russian economy can still be appropriately characterized as transitional. The authors shed light on ambiguities surrounding this status through an exploration of four questions related to issues of interest to government decisionmakers.

Weaves together the analyses of a number of top Soviet officials and economic and other policy advisors to provide a chronological account of the collapse of the Soviet economic and social system. Among the topics covered are economic performance in the 1980s; the standard of living; the reliability of Soviet statistics; Gosplan's economic projections for the year 2000; the arms race as a drain on the civilian economy; the roles of ideology and the party in the functioning of the economic system; the struggle over a transition program; the influence of foreign advisers; and the collapse of the supply system, the CMEA, and the foreign trade system. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

A Cornelia & Michael Bessie book.