Development Strategy, Welfare Regime and Poverty Reduction in the Former Soviet Union (Country Overview Paper 3) (Draft)

The former Soviet Union was one of the largest countries in the world—accounting for between a sixth and a fifth of the landmass of the world. For much of the twentieth century its economy and society were governed by principles that differed radically from those found in most other industrialized economies and in many, if not most, developing countries. This paper sets out to describe the institutions, through which the economy was administered, the strategy that the leaders adopted to secure industrialization and their success in securing increases in living standards and a reduction in poverty.