ABSTRACT
Acceleration and intensification have remained the declared "leitmotivs" of the re-orientation of economic policy envisaged by Gorbachev, indeed they are cardinal elements in his policies as a whole. The productivity problems in the Soviet economy can be traced back to the interaction of four groups of factors: exogenous factors, structures and process policy factors, system-inherent factors, and secondary factors. Gorbachev's package of economic policy measures includes, firstly, measures in the field of manpower policy. Secondly, major emphasis is placed on corrections to structures policy which is largely intended to benefit scientific-technological progress. Gorbachev's statements on economic policy since his coming to power in March 1985, document his view that economic revival and the intensification of the economic processes cannot be attained without a thorough "perfecting," "improvement" or "restructuring" of planning, management and the economic mechanism. The prospects for the success of Gorbachev's systems-policy course as re-affirmed and re-accentuated at the 27th Party Congress can be regarded as open.
