Culture of Policy Making in the Transition from Socialism: Price Policy inMongolia

摘要

Price policy in Mongolia is examined in the paper, which argues that the cultureof policymaking that arose under socialism has profound implications for the progress of reform. The paper first outlines some basic features of Mongolian price policy: dissonance within and among policy measures; a proliferation of price controls, controllers, and arguments in favor of controls; and spontaneity and decentralization of controls. Several possible explanations for these characteristics of price policy (in addition to cultural influences) are then considered: a preference for the old system; second-best policy; a policy game played out among competing economic actors; and rent-seeking behavior on the part of officials. The influence of the culture of policymaking in framing and guidng decisions emerges as the most convincing explanation.