The Concept and Practice of Representative Democracy in Post-Communist Eastern Europe

Using the concept of representation, this study advances a comparative interpretive analysis which makes use of hard statistical data and soft data to assess the direction of democratization in Eastern Europe between 1990 and 1998. Specifically, the study looks at how governments in Eastern Europe chose to heed constituencies\u27 calls for the institution of a market economy, and analyzes the degree of government responsiveness towards constituencies. The study finds that the region is moving towards a more responsible and responsive type of governance, but at different paces and degrees. Poland leads with respect to government responsiveness. The Czech Republic displays signs of elitist responsiveness. Hungary is also moving in the direction of responsive governance. Events in the Slovak Republic, Bulgaria and Romania have been too unsettled to conduct a meaningful analysis of government responsiveness at this time