CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Labanino, Rafael Pablo |
|---|---|
| Title | Explaining Second Generation Reforms in the Visegrad Countries Assessing the Role of Party System Institutionalization and the Patterns of Conflict |
| Summary | There is a puzzle in the second decade of transition in East Central Europe. Former laggards of transition, such as Slovakia, Bulgaria or Romania have a much better record in the second generation of reforms than the front runners of the first decade. This paper assesses explanations that claim this variance can be explained by party system institutionalization and ideology. In the following thesis I argue that there is no causal inference between the level of party system institutionalization and second generation reforms. Furthermore, I show that ideology is not a universal marker for party stance on market reforms. I use the model of Pater Mair to evaluate party system change, and the historical legacy approach of Herbert Kitschelt to assess party system divide. With a qualitative analysis on a sample of the Visegrad countries I find that the cause for a presence or a lack of a radical second generation reform agenda can be found in the legacies of the first decade. Where the rule of illiberal governments in the 1990s posed a real threat to the success of European integration, and led to a seriously deteriorating economic performance more comprehensive second generation reforms were implemented. |
| Supervisor | Attila Folsz |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/labanino_rafael-pablo.pdf |
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