The Political Economy of Collectivized Agriculture : A Comparative Study of Communist and Non-Communist Systems

The Political Economy of Collectivized Agriculture/A Comparative Study of Communist and Non-Communist Systems assesses the political and economic impact of collectivization by surveying the experience of several nations with different forms of collective or state farming. Focusing primarily on the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) nations, this book addresses a number of questions, such as whether collectivized agriculture is more or less efficient than private agriculture; whether the manner in which collectivization is implemented affects its success; and whether there are social and political motivations that override economic considerations. This monograph is comprised of nine chapters and opens with a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of state agriculture in the USSR, followed by an analysis of collectivized agriculture in Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, and Poland. The impact and politics of agricultural collectivization on productivity in China are then examined, paying particular attention to its advantages and drawbacks as well as the factors driving the growth of Chinese agriculture. The experience of Israel with collectivized agriculture is also considered, along with the impact of industrialization and modernization on the kibbutz and the problems associated with embourgeoisement. This text will be of interest to economists, political scientists, and policymakers concerned with agriculture. Content: Pergamon Titles of Related Interest , Page ii Front Matter , Page iii Copyright , Page iv Preface , Pages vii-viii , The Editors Introduction , Pages ix-xii 1 - The Plusses and Minuses of State Agriculture in the USSR , Pages 3-20 , Roy D. Laird 2 - The Costly Experiment: Collectivization of Romanian Agriculture , Pages 23-62 , Trond Gilberg 3 - Agricultural Collectivization in The German Democratic Republic , Pages 63-85 , Ronald A. Francisco 4 - Kulakization of Polish Agriculture , Pages 86-107 , Jaroslaw A. Piekalkiewicz 5 - Modernization, Collectivization, Production, and Legitimacy: Agricultural Development in Rural Hungary , Pages 108-129 , Ivan Volgyes 6 - The Politics of Agricultural Collectivization and Modernization in Czechoslovakia , Pages 130-154 , Joseph Hajda 7 - The Impact of Agricultural Collectivization on Productivity in China , Pages 157-191 , Benedict R. Stavis 8 - Collectivization, Modernization, and Embourgeoisement: The Contemporary Kibbutz , Pages 192-219 , William Safran 9 - Conclusion , Pages 223-241 Index , Pages 243-247 About the Editors and Contributors , Pages 249-250 Pergamon Policy Studies , Page ibc1 The Plusses And Minuses Of State Agriculture In The Ussr / Roy D. Laird -- The Costly Experiment : Collectivization Of Romanian Agriculture / Trond Gilberg -- Agricultural Collectivization In The German Democratic Republic / Ronald A. Francisco -- Kulakization Of Polish Agriculture / Jaroslaw A. Piekalkiewicz -- Modernizaion, Collectivization, Production And Legitimacy : Agricultural Development In Rural Hungary / Ivan Volgyes -- The Politics Of Agricultural Collectivization And Modernization In Czechoslovakia / Joseph Hajda -- The Impact Of Agricultural Collectivization On Productivity In China / Benedict R. Stavis -- Collectivization, Modernization, And Embourgeoisement : The Contemporary Kubbutz / William Safran Edited By Ronald A. Francisco, Betty A. Laird, Roy D. Laird. Revisions Of Papers Originally Presented At The Sept. 1977 American Political Science Association Meeting In Washington, D.c. And Subsequently At A Conference Held At The University Of Nebraska In April 1978. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.