Soviet Political Economy in Transition From Lenin to Gorbachev

Situating Gorbachev and "perestroika" historically and ideologically, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of Soviet political economy in the context of socialist theory and practice. Challenging the belief that socialism is sternly committed to centralized economic and political structures, Dowlah claims that socialism contains several theories, some more centralized, others less centralized. The work examines Gorbachev's claim that "perestoika" embodies more socialism, not less, and evaluates "perestoika" as a strategy of transition to a new form of socialism. Based on thorough inquiry, textual evidence and historical fact, the study concludes that Gorbachev's claims are substantially legitimate.