Creating Social Trust in Post-Socialist Transition

One of the central characteristics of socialist states and societies has been the absence of trust--between the state and the citizens, and then among citizens themselves. The process of developing trust is thus a major issue facing post-Socialist countries, and this book brings together a group of leading scholars to examine barriers to and bulwarks of trust in theoretical, cross-national, and topical perspectives. From the distinctive paradox of illegal organizations--such as the Mafiya--relying on trust within but undermining it without, to the effects of transparency, the authors examine the bases of trust and the effects of its presence or absence. Throughout the analysis is grounded in the interaction of individuals and their social, political, and economic environments.

Janos Kornai is Allie S. Freed Professor of Economics Emeritus, Harvard University and Fellow Emeritus, Collegium Budapest, Institute for Advanced Study. Bo Rothstein is August R÷hss Chair in Political Science, G÷teborg University. Susan Rose-Ackerman is Henry R. Luce Professor of Jurisprudence (Law and Political Science), Yale University.

Preface--Janos Kornai and Susan Rose-Ackerman * Introduction: Creating Social Trust--Bo Rothstein * Part I: Social Capital and Democratic Transition * Social Capital and Honesty in Government: A Causal Mechanisms Approach--Bo Rothstein * Honesty, Trust, and Legal Norms in the Transition to Democracy: Why Bo Rothstein Is Better Able to Explain Sweden than Romania--Eric M. Uslaner and Gabriel Badescu * Part II: Trust and the Business Environment * Measuring Trust in Transition: Preliminary Findings from Twenty-six Transition Economies--Martin Raiser, Alan Rousso, and Franklin Steves * Underground Financing in Russia--Alena Ledeneva * How Trust Is Established in Economic Relationships when Institutions and Individuals Are Not Trustworthy: The Case of Russia--Vadim Radaev * Establishing Confidence in Business Partners: Courts, Networks, and Relationships as Pillars of Support--Christopher Woodruff * The Selective Use of State Capacity in Russia's Economy: Property Disputes and Enterprise Takeovers, 1998-2002--Vadim Volkov * Mafia Transplantation--Federico Varese * Beyond Law Enforcement: Governing Financial Markets in China and Russia--Katerina Pistor and Chenggang Xu * Part III: Trust, Cooperation, and Success * The Emergence of Trust Networks under Uncertainty: The Case of Transitional Economies--Insights from Social Psychological Research--Karen Cook, Eric R. W. Rice, and Alexandra Gerbasi * Blindness to Success: Social Psychological Objectives along the Way to a Market Economy in Eastern Europe--György Csepeli, Antal Örkény, Mária Székelyi, and Ildikó Barna
Preface--Janos Kornai and Susan Rose-Ackerman * Introduction: Creating Social Trust--Bo Rothstein * Part I: Social Capital and Democratic Transition * Social Capital and Honesty in Government: A Causal Mechanisms Approach--Bo Rothstein * Honesty, Trust, and Legal Norms in the Transition to Democracy: Why Bo Rothstein Is Better Able to Explain Sweden than Romania--Eric M. Uslaner and Gabriel Badescu * Part II: Trust and the Business Environment * Measuring Trust in Transition: Preliminary Findings from Twenty-six Transition Economies--Martin Raiser, Alan Rousso, and Franklin Steves * Underground Financing in Russia--Alena Ledeneva * How Trust Is Established in Economic Relationships when Institutions and Individuals Are Not Trustworthy: The Case of Russia--Vadim Radaev * Establishing Confidence in Business Partners: Courts, Networks, and Relationships as Pillars of Support--Christopher Woodruff * The Selective Use of State Capacity in Russia's Economy: Property Disputes and Enterprise Takeovers, 1998-2002--Vadim Volkov * Mafia Transplantation--Federico Varese * Beyond Law Enforcement: Governing Financial Markets in China and Russia--Katerina Pistor and Chenggang Xu * Part III: Trust, Cooperation, and Success * The Emergence of Trust Networks under Uncertainty: The Case of Transitional Economies--Insights from Social Psychological Research--Karen Cook, Eric R. W. Rice, and Alexandra Gerbasi * Blindness to Success: Social Psychological Objectives along the Way to a Market Economy in Eastern Europe--György Csepeli, Antal Örkény, Mária Székelyi, and Ildikó Barna