ABSTRACT
In her study of the use of "blat" (contacts and influence) in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia, Alena Ledeneva suggests that the transition from communism to a market economy had effects upon the use of contacts and bribery in the FSU. Since assertions of bribery always fell as the conversation moved from general gossip to specific personal statements, and denials usually increased, the net difference between assertions and denials of bribery fell sharply. The fall was particularly sharp in the Czech Republic. When people were talking in general terms, net assertions of bribery were about as frequent in Slovakia and Bulgaria as in Ukraine—and only around ten percent less in the Czech Republic. In Slovakia, references to bribery were more frequent than in the Czech Republic. Very few comments suggested that it was impossible to change the relationship between citizens and officials—the percentage ranged from zero in the Czech Republic to only 6 percent in Ukraine.
