Privatization at the End of the Century

Preface.- I. The Economics of Privatization.- When the State Changes Its Mind: The Puzzle of Discontinuity in Government Control of Economic Activity.- Privatization and Economic Growth: Reflections and Observations.- An Alternative to Privatization: Coping with Managerial Slack in Public Firms.- Public Choice Aspects of Privatization Policies: Driving Forces and Obstacles.- Methods of Privatization: Auctions, Bargaining, and Giveaways.- Comment on the Methods of Privatization: Politico-Economic and Historical Issues.- II. Country Experiences.- Privatization in the United Kingdom and Poland: The Model and Its Transformation.- Privatization in Eastern Germany: The Never-Ending Story of the Treuhand.- Privatization in the Czech Republic and Russia: The Voucher Model.- Privatization in Estonia and Hungary: Selling Out.- Comment on the Hungarian Experience: Trade Sales versus Mass Privatization.- Privatization in China: Something to Learn From?.- III. A Broader Perspective.- Regulation of Privatized Networks: The Case of Telecommunications.- Comment on the Regulation of Privatized Networks: The Case of Electricity Industry.- Private Provision of Public Goods and Services.- About the Authors.