Böcker av Lavinia Stan

This book examines Romania's efforts to consolidate liberal democracy and market economy, as desired by the generation who effected change in 1989 and required by the European Union. The ousting of Nicolae Ceausescu, leader of an autarchic and nationalistic dictatorship, underscored the limitations of politically engineering change when rule of law is weak, institutions are misused, and intolerance and cheating are prevalent. Despite initial hopes, Romania's transition combined progress and stagnation, missed opportunities, detours, unintended consequences, and success. The contributions illustrate the tenuous relationship between continuity and change in a country that is yet to catch up with its neighbors.

The collapse of European communist regimes provided social scientists with an opportunity to observe the birth of new political institutions and to examine the effect of political behavior on institutional change. This book explores the extent to which social capital affected the performance of one such institution, the Romanian county council.