In 1989, the Soviet bloc in Eastern Europe disintegrated. In mid-1991, the old Yugoslavia began its painful, protracted breakup. Later that year, an abortive communist coup led quickly to the FSU (former Soviet Union). Twenty-eight countries were free to choose their own economic and political institutions. Public and elite opinion was set on a large move away from the old socialist system, towards some form of market capitalism. In most countries, there was an accompanying shift toward greater political freedom and democracy. All countries undergoing this transition have now experienced more than eleven years of post-communist change.
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Murrell, P. (2008). Institutions and Firms in Transition Economies. In: Ménard, C., Shirley, M.M. (eds) Handbook of New Institutional Economics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69305-5_27
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