The concept of social capital has been used by political scientists to explain both the transition to democracy in Eastern Europe and the decline of social cohesion in Western societies. This edited collection presents the latest quantitative research on how post-communist countries are adapting to Western models of society. The book combines theoretical and institutional analysis with detailed case-studies looking at Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania and the former East Germany.

Those who study Romania must confront the theoretical challenges posed by a country that is undergoing a profound transformation from a repressive totalitarianism regime to a hazy and as yet unrealized democratic government. The most comprehensive survey of Romanian politics and society ever published abroad, this volume represents an effort to collect and analyze data on the complex problems of Romania's past and its transition into an uncertain future. Henry F. Carey has brought together the world's leading scholars on Romania to discuss key aspects of the country's sites of conflict in a groundbreaking work that includes six resident Romanian authors who rarely publish in the global academic press. Romania since 1989 is must for anyone seeking either a basic understanding or a sophisticated analysis of contemporary Romania. The book is also an invaluable resource for those who study the economies and governments of other countries in transition, as it presents an ideal case study with lessons that can be applied elsewhere.