Introduction

Being as completely as possible in the picture about the constraints on the transformation processes in the Eastern economies is critical not only in assessing the art of policy making. Coming to grips with the legacies of the past evolution of the Eastern economies individually and in their regional concert, including in the context of the former Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, could easily have justified a weighty tome all by itself. As planned economies, the countries of the eastern part of Europe shielded themselves from much of the world economy. Although various changes occurred in this policy stance in the postwar period, by the time the East’s revolutions careered around the comer, these economies remained separated from the world economy in a number of respects. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.