Dissertation Research Support: Economists and the Foundation of Slovenian National Identity

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9321162 Marcus This dissertation research project will examine the role of economists in Slovenia's transition from socialist to capitalist market systems. Formerly Yugoslavia's frontier with the West, Slovenia declared its autonomy on June 26, 1991. Economists have been working throughout Eastern Europe to advance democracy and market reforms, and in Slovenia the role of economists has risen to prominence in unexpected ways. The importance accorded to these reforms and to the specialized knowledge used to define them has allowed economists in Slovenia to emerge as a powerful intellectual elite accorded a crucial role in the construction of an independent and stable nation. This study will examine their role and analyze how their activities influence other spheres of change. Slovenia's transition has been considered thus far a success, due to its relatively peaceful independence form Yugoslavia, its successful preliminary economic reforms, and its current political and economic stability. This study will provide a rare opportunity to probe the political and cultural aspects of the construction and implementation of economic reforms, allowing for a better understanding of the political, economic and cultural changes redefining nations across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Bloc. Preliminary research has been done to develop contacts and arrangements in Ljubljana, and to review relevant documents and conduct interviews at the World Bank and other sources in Washington DC. These funds will allow research in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, for a year, beginning in March 1994. ***