Pluralism in the Soviet Union [electronic resource] : Essays in Honour of H. Gordon Skilling

Pluralism in the Soviet Union offers an illuminating and original discussion of a popular but controversial approach to the study of the Soviet Union. There is much debate in this volume. Each of the contributors takes a distinctive stand on the usefulness of the concept 'pluralism', broadly defined, for the understanding of Soviet politics and society. The book begins with a study by Susan Gross Solomon of the history of the concept of 'pluralism' in Western political science. She finds that there has been no prototypical usage of the term within the discipline and suggests that Sovietologists need not be concerned, therefore, about whether the use of pluralism in their field extends the concept beyond its accepted meaning in American studies. Jerry F. Hough laments the fetish of Sovietologists with model-building, which in his view deflects attention from the critical task of empirical research. But if there must be models, pluralism still has some advantages over its nowfashionable competitor 'corporatism'. Archie Brown adds a new dimension to the discussion by contrasting Western and Soviet usages of the concept of pluralism. He shows that while Western scholars pay attention to the influence on government of societal groups, some of their Soviet counterparts focus on the relative autonomy of the state from society. WJodzimierz Brus examines the implications for Soviet politics of the growing marketization of the economy in the USSR. Unlike proponents of convergence Brus does not expect that political pluralism will evolve directly from the new economic relations. In the concluding chapter Frederick C. Barghoorn performs a test for the litmus of pluralism in any society by examining the Soviet regime's treatment of dissent. He provides fascinating new evidence about the ways in which the regime's relationship with the dissidents constrains not just the dissidents but the regime itself. This volume of essays is a tribute to H. Gordon Skillingdistinguished pioneer in the field of Soviet and East European studies. The contributors are drawn from three countries, and appropriately so. For Skilling was born in Canada, did his graduate work in England, taught in the United States, and then returned to his native Canada, there to found and direct for its In the course of preparing this Festschrift, I have benefited immeasurably from the support of individuals and institutions. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Introduction....Pages 1-3 ‘Pluralism’ in Political Science: The Odyssey of a Concept....Pages 4-36 Pluralism, Corporatism and the Soviet Union....Pages 37-60 Pluralism, Power and the Soviet Political System: A Comparative Perspective....Pages 61-107 Political Pluralism and Markets in Communist Systems....Pages 108-130 Regime—Dissenter Relations after Khrushchev: Some Observations....Pages 131-168 Back Matter....Pages 169-179