Politics, public opinion and privatization: Assessing the “calculus of consent” for market reforms in transition economies

Abstract

This article supports a growing body of comparative public policy literature on assessing citizen attitudes to privatization efforts around the world. Given the normative and political overtones associated with the privatization of state-owned enterprises, relatively little is known empirically about how citizens of different nationalities evaluate market reforms. Using the 1996 International Social Survey Programme, the method of analysis utilized in this article will provide researchers with a more precise analytical framework for evaluating citizen attitudes, and for anticipating and dealing strategically with the perceived political consequences of denationalization efforts in transition economies. Conclusions reached here link attitudes toward privatization with the implementation of ongoing market reforms. Consequently, assessing citizen attitudes serves as an important heuristic for practitioners and researchers to contemplate in their evaluation of privatization efforts.