Chapter 8: Current and Former Communist World

Thinking About Current and Former Communist Regimes The Impossible: Collapse of Communism Some remain, but most with economic reform Little in common with the socialism Marx and Engels predicted Unlikely that these regimes will remain Communist

Thinking about Communism The Leninist State - Democratic Centralism Command Economies Key Questions –What forces shaped the development of states and governments? –How are decisions made? –What role do average citizens play in policy making? –What are the public policies? –How could apparently powerful regimes collapse? –What have some Communist systems survived? –What are the political implications of economic reforms in Communist and former Communist countries? –Why are these countries facing challenges more serious than industrialized democracies?

Socialism, Marxism, Leninism Socialism –Public ownership of means of production –Substantial material equality –Economic and political democracy

Socialism, Marxism, Leninism Marxism –Evolution of society –Dialectics –Historical materialism –Revolution

Socialism, Marxism, Leninism Marxism-Leninism – democratic centralism Stalinism - totalitarianism Expansion –Third International (Comintern) –Eastern Europe –Asia De-Stalinization

The Marxist-Leninist State The Party State Secretariat Politburo General Secretary Cult of Personality Nomenklatura Command economy The Graying of Communism

The Crisis of Communism: Suicide by Public Policy Reform: Too Little, Too Late Glasnost Democratization Peristroika Approach to the West 1989: The Year That Changed the World The Remnants of the Communist World

Transitions Economic disasters Relative successes: East and Central Europe Troubled transitions: The former Soviet Union Ethnic conflict Reform: What's left of Marxism?

Feedback Were never technologically equal to media in the West Party controlled media Censorship Western media kept out Loosening of controls during Gorbachev years Media is now open, contentious, and critical in former Communist states Cracks in the party’s armor against media in current Communist regimes