ABSTRACT
The state of political life in the USSR presents a contradictory and paradoxical picture to Western theorists, who try to grasp its essence in terms of general concepts. Soviet political theorists are, of course, familiar with the general notion that personal property and private property under socialism can "overflow" and erode what should be the dominant form. In addition to the general considerations, the B. P. Kurashvili-type reform proposals raise a number of specific political and administrative issues. Reform proposals of the type advanced by Kurashvili by no means guarantee the removal of administrative barriers. The 1965 reform recentralised the administrative structure but simplified the enterprise's success indicators, giving greater emphasis to sales and profitability. A moderate reform, by contrast, would attempt to strengthen real central control by reducing the number of ministries from over fifty to about ten, each responsible for a broad area of economic activity.
