ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on polling in Central and Eastern Europe during the post-communist period, and considers parallel issues for late-capitalist societies. It reviews some of the political changes which have taken place since the collapse of communism. The chapter describes the Complex Politics environment in which polling operates. It presents an analysis of the use of polls by post-communist governments, parties and mass media organisations, as well as the role of polls within the general processes of transition. One of the major areas of dispute within the literature on post-communist systemic change in Central and Eastern Europe concerns the direction of change, and the extent to which there has been a consolidation of 'democratic' political systems. Opinion polling is largely dependent upon both the changing modes and tendencies of citizens' participation in political affairs, and the nature of the policy process. The chapter examines the changing policy process in post-communist societies, and development of opinion polling there.
