Caspian Dreams. U.S. and Chinese Energy Security Policies in the Caspian Region

Russian Federation Country Study. A Public Finance...

While eco omic efficie cy decreased duri g he Brezh ev period, he USSR's leadership demo s ra ed i creased commi me o he Sovie versio of he social safe y e . he par y-s a e's pervasive role i socie y had he effec of slowi g eco omic grow h hrough poor re- alloca io of resources a d he social effec of re ardi g he developme of a civic socie y. As a resul , Sovie socie y developed a e duri g a achme o he idea of a om ipo e s a e which provided for heir basic eeds regardless of he eco omic cos s. From a Wes er perspec ive, he Sovie U io was ideologically a hyper" welfare s a e i he se se ha prior o he Gorbachev era, he s a e a emp ed o provide a high level of social securi y for every ci ize , of e o he poi of harmi g eco omic efficie cy. Addi io ally, i heavily res ric ed he developme of priva e sec or i order o preve wide wage dispari y. As me io ed above, he CPSU's mo opoly o power ex e ded o every aspec of socie y a d i excha ge for par y domi a ce he worki g popula io received implici social guara ees i he form of a social co rac ." Li da J. Cook succi c ly ide ifies each sides' basic commi me s a d respo sibili ies: Basically, he regime provided broad guara ees of full a d secure employme , s a e co rolled a d heavily subsidized prices for esse ial goods, fully socialized huma services, a d egali aria wage policies.