| Abstrakt: |
This article examines the patterns of party patronage in both communist and post-communist regimes in Central Eastern Europe. Firstly, the text outlines the theoretical concept of patronage and explains in more detail the linkage between patronage and other related phenomena - i.e. corruption and clientelism. This part focuses on both the differences and similarities between them. In the second part, the article sketches out the principles of the working of patterns of patronage (so-called nomenclature) in communist regimes. In the last part, the paper discusses changes in the patterns of party patronage after the fall of communism and provides an explanation for the varying practices of patronage among post-communist parties, stressing the institutional legacy of the past. The paper thus generally aims to provide theoretical background for further research on party patronage in postcommunist countries and also in more specific (i.e. local or regional) contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
