While the literature of hybrid regimes has given up the presumption that post-communist countries must democratize, its language and concepts still mostly relate to Western democracies. Magyar and Madlovics strongly argue for a vocabulary and grammar tailored to the specifics of the region. In 120 theses they unfold a conceptual framework with (1) a typology of post-communist regimes and (2) a detailed presentation of ideal-type actors and the political, economic, and social phenomena in these regimes. The book is a more digestible companion to the 800-page The Anatomy of Post-Communist Regimes (CEU Press, 2020), which was a detailed theoretical study with plenty of empirical illustrations.

Each of the 120 theses contains a statement and its concise discussion supported by illustrative tables, figures, and QR-codes that connect the interested reader to the more detailed analysis in the Anatomy. In a condensed variety, this book has kept the holistic approach of the Anatomy and treats the spheres of political, market, and communal action as parts of a single, coherent whole. The endeavor to synthesize a vast range of ideas does not, however, result in a too complicated text. On the contrary, freed from the implicit presumptions of democracy theory, the new terminology yields a readily usable toolkit of unambiguous means of expression to speak about post-communism.

About the Author
Balint Magyar is Research Fellow at CEU Democracy Institute, working on the subject of patronalism in post-communist countries. He was a member of the Hungarian Parliament (1990-2010). As a Minister of Education (1996-1998; 2002-2006) he initiated and carried out reforms in public and higher education. Balint Madlovics (*1993) is a political scientist and economist. He is a junior research fellow at the CEU Democracy Institute. He holds MA in Political Science (2018) from Central European University in Budapest, and BA in Applied Economics (2016) from Corvinus University of Budapest.

Reviews
"Wegierscy badacze: Ustroj, ktory wymyslili Orban z Kaczynskim, wymyka sie definicjom. To zupelnie nowa jakosc." https://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,30175241,to-jakby-opisywac-slonia-przy-pomocy-jezyka-na-temat-ryb.html -- Wojciech Sadurski * Wyborcza *
"In the wide-reaching academic literature on corruption and oligarchs' influence, Magyar and Madlovics's synthesis and typologies are exemplary, and their conceptualization rigorous." https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/psup/hungarian-studies/article-abstract/48/2/216/287751/Why-Did-Hungarian-Politics-Become-Authoritarian-A?redirectedFrom=fulltext -- Katalin Fabian * Hungarian Studies Review *
"Hiermit ein drittes Forschungsparadigma zur Analyse der Entwicklung Osteuropas nach der Transitologie (in den 1990er Jahren dominant) und einem Konzept, das er als 'Hybridologie' bezeichnet, entwickelt werde. Jenes Dritte bezeichnet er als Paradigma der 'Post-Communist Dynamics'. 'The basic hypothesis of the authors is that the post-communist political trajectory after the fall of communism is leading to 'informal patronal' systems of rule, and by no means to the establishment of Western-style legal-rational liberal democracy.' Die zentrale Institution jenes dritten Paradigmas wird als 'Mafia-Staat' bezeichnet. Dieses Konzept stutzt sich auf Erkenntnisse uber die historische Mafia, in der traditionelle Familienbeziehungen bestimmend sind und ein Patron die zentrale Figur darstellt. 'In essence, the mafia state is the business venture of the adopted political family managed through the instruments of public authority: the privatized form of a parasite state.'" https://www.zfo-online.de/portal/zfo/article/download/11463/11348 -- Dieter Segert * Zeitschrift fur Ostmitteleuropa-Forschung *
"The authors take a balanced approach to complex issues such as the varied evolution of postcommunist countries and political, economic and societal elements that could still be found in the 12 countries studied in the book. This book offers a detailed exploration of the political, economic and social dimensions of postcommunist transitions. Its accessible writing style and rich general information make the book a good resource for students and the general public seeking a primer on postcommunist regimes." https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2024.2328994 -- Bettina Mitru * Europe-Asia Studies *



Book Information
ISBN 9789633865873
Author Balint Magyar
Format Paperback
Page Count 264
Imprint Central European University Press
Publisher Central European University Press
Weight(grams) 362g