Abstract
In 14 Central and Eastern European nations, a nonrandom sample of 210 elite respondents (social science and health professionals) have rated their country’s transition from 1991 to 1993 from communism to a new transitional system. Measures of change toward democratic political processes and institutions on a composite score show perceptions of a slight decline. On an overall rating, communications democratization also shows slight overall improvement. Political education composite change is nonexistent. Nationalistic orientations overall are moderate (except for Serbia and Croatia) and have mostly remained about the same cross-nationally. Compared to the 1989–91 period, respondents’ perceptions about minority toleration overall are that this is actually worse in 1993. These economies are perceived to be better off, but performance here is rated even worse than for the political, communications, and educational dimensions. Environmental quality is rated very low and shows no overall change in conditions. Country-by-country transitions are presented on each measure employed. (The time periods involved are January 1989 to early January 1991 [time period a] and late January 1991 [time period b] to January 1993.)
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Farnen, R.F., German, D.B. (1996). Central and Eastern European Elite Perspectives on Political, Communications, Educational, Economic, and Environmental Changes (1989 to 1993). In: Farnen, R.F., Dekker, H., Meyenberg, R., German, D.B. (eds) Democracy, Socialization and Conflicting Loyalties in East and West. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14059-6_4
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