Centrally Planned Economies

This insightful examination of centrally planned economies highlights inefficiencies in Czechoslovakia's system, using extensive interviews to reveal the realities of economic life under communism.

This book offers a comprehensive analysis of the centrally-planned economy of communist Czechoslovakia. One of the key questions it addresses is why centrally-planned economies lagged behind developed economies. Centrally Planned Economies makes a significant contribution to the discourse on central planning, filling a gap left by the absence of recent publications on the subject.

Providing a retrospective view of the operational dynamics in Communist Czechoslovakia, Centrally Planned Economies serves as an essential voice in the conversation about central planning systems. Its unique features include extensive research that combines archival records with insights from approximately 75 interviews conducted with managers at various levels. These interviews reveal a pervasive inefficiency that led to dismal economic outcomes.

Beginning with a background on the politico-sociological landscape in Czechoslovakia, the book delves into the Marxist-Leninist ideological foundations that shaped the Czechoslovak model. These introductory chapters set the stage for a thorough analysis of the system's real functioning, exploring economic outcomes as a natural result of its operations. The author concludes by addressing the critical question of why centrally planned economies fell behind their market counterparts. The vivid interview format enriches the narrative, offering a more nuanced understanding of everyday life within the centrally planned system, making it a valuable resource for economic historians and students alike.