Assessment of Rationing Systems of Consumer Goods at Different Stages of Poland 's Socio-Economic Development

The article analyzes effectiveness of the rationing systems, which functioned in Poland in the 1940'e (stage of low socio-economic development) and in the 1980's (stage of developed economy). The starting hypothesis is contained in the statement that in conditions of relatively low level of socio-economic development, the rationing system is an effective way of distributing the available consumer goods while whenever this level is significantly higher the effectiveness a of the system is much lower . The entire analysis is contained in three basic parts . The first one of them carries a character of a theoretical introduction to problems of rationing it contains a presentation of the general functions perforated by the rationing system and thus introduces certain criteria of assessment. In the next part , there was performed analysis of rationing system in the field of food supplies in the 1940'e including its basic aims accompanied by an attempt at its assessment. The next part of analysis is devoted to rationing in the 1980'a. The authors ' attention was focused on differences in theoretical conditions in introduction of this solution and analysis of possibilities of effective functioning rationing at this stage of the country’s socio-economic development. The final part of the article contains a short comparison of both periods and indicates the most important conclusions ensuing from the performed analysis.Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 dofinansowane zostało ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę