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Political Convergence: An Empirical Assessment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2011

Daniel N. Nelson
Daniel N. Nelson
Affiliation:
University of Kentucky
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Abstract

When detente emerged as the focal point of American foreign policy in the early 1970's, the issue of whether or not communist political systems were becoming more like Western democracies over time (i.e., “converging”) was raised. This paper assesses political scientists' efforts to analyze such a hypotheses, particularly the implication that socioeconomic changes called “development” and “modernization” co-vary with fundamental political change. After identifying three components of the convergence hypothesis—pluralism, nationalism, and legitimacy—the author examines published research for empirical evidence regarding these phenomena. He stresses the similarities and differences of political change among communist states. Convergence theory is found to be inadequate in most respects for understanding the relationships between socioeconomic and political changes, although various political trends (such as pluralization) are evident.

Type
Research Note
Information
World Politics , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , April 1978 , pp. 411 - 432
Copyright
Copyright © Trustees of Princeton University 1978

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References

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2 See, for instance, Jan Tinbergen, “Do Communist and Free Economies Show a Converging Pattern?” in Bornstein, Morris, ed., Comparative Economic Systems (Homewood, LLL.: Dorsey 1965), 455–64Google Scholar.

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33 Zaninovich (fn. 32), 285.

34 Triska and Barbie (fn. 32), 46.

35 Zaninovich (fn. 32), 285.

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51 Ibid., 255.

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56 Ibid., 282.

57 For a study of the political role played by schools in communist states, see Grant, Nigel, Society, Schools and Progress in Eastern Europe (New York: Pergamon Press 1969)Google Scholar esp. chap. 5. Perhaps the most complete treatment of socialization efforts in the U.S.S.R. is Soviet Political Indoctrination by Hollander, Gayle D. (New York: Praeger 1972)Google Scholar. The best country-specific study of political education is Georgeoff, Peter John, The Social Education of Bulgarian Youth (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press 1968)Google Scholar.

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59 Ibid., 248.

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68 Nelson (fn. 30).