The Transformation of Post-Socialist Capitalism – From Developmental State to Clan State?
Greenwich Paper in Political Economy No. GPERC57
Posted: 24 Jan 2018 Last revised: 18 Dec 2019
Date Written: January 12, 2018
Abstract
Various characterisations exist of the model of post-social capitalism. While most typologies underscore the prominent role of the state in post-socialist capitalism compared to Western economies, the literature is less clear about what exactly this role consists of. For the case of East Central Europe, some authors underscore the weakness of the state and its ‘capture’ by business interests, while others attribute to the state a benign role in successful industrial restructuring. We show that both views are of limited use to understand the phase of ‘backsliding’ that these economies are currently experiencing. We draw on anthropological models of post-socialist states that focus on elite dynamics within the state and show that this focus allows us to interpret backsliding in Hungary as a reversal of the developmental state into a clan-state.
Keywords: State Capitalism, Political Ties, Clan-State, Post-Socialism, Autocracy, Developmental State
JEL Classification: P16, P26, H13
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation