Saint-Petersburg State University

Graduate Student, Economics

Aspirant/Аспирант

Department of World Economy

Thesis Title: Institutional Performance and the Impact of the State on Social Well Being: Lessons from the Soviet Era and Beyond

About

After living and working with aid type NGOs in various Former Soviet Republics (Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan) for five years, I was awarded a Foreign Government Award from the Russian Federation in late 2005 to continue my studies on the impact the collapse of the USSR has had on economic performance and social welfare. In particular I am interested in how this tragedy has had a different impact on the 53 federal units of the USSR and what can be learned from different public policy experiments currently underway. My thesis area focuses on the impact states can have on the economy and social welfare through their tax, spending and public policy related decisions as well as through their institutional design (division of powers). The experience of the USSR can yield valuable lessons not only for the CIS since what can be learned about what happens when essential services fail, such as police, fire and law enforcement, is applicable to other economies.

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