Education and Support for the Czech Reforms

Abstract

Educated Czechs fared poorly during the communist regime (1948-89) but have done relatively well since the Velvet Revolution. This phase change is consistent with transition theory and suggests that educated Czechs may be more supportive of the postcommunist reforms as a consequence. To test this hypothesis, the authors examined 11 national surveys (1990-98) of Czech respondents to determine if economic standing and other controls explained the relation between education and attitudes about the country's reforms. They also tested whether the effects of education interacted with phases of the reforms. The results showed that better-educated respondents enjoyed an economic advantage, supportive of transition theory. However, this advantage and other controls did not explain the significant effects of education on attitudes about the Czech reforms. These pat terns were stable during the survey period with one exception, as indicated by education * time interaction terms. These findings suggest that values associated with education may play a role in attitudes about postcommunist reforms independent of economic standing, expanding the view that economic experiences during postcommunist reforms differentiate attitudes about them