COMMUNISM AND POLITICAL CULTURE THEORY

In: Comparative politics, Band 15, Heft 2, S. 127-138

Abstract

IN TESTING POLITICAL CULTURE THEORY IN COMMUNIST COUNTRIES IT IS USEFUL TO SORT THEM INTO THREE CATEGORIES: (1) THE SOVIET UNION ITSELF WHERE THE COMMUNIST "EXPERIMENT" BEGAN AND WAS CARRIED THROUGH BY AN INDIGENOUS COMMUNIST ELITE; (2) OTHER COUNTRIES SUCH AS YUGOSLAVIA, CHINA, CUBA, AND VIETNAM WHERE THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION WAS IMPORTED AND CARRIED OUT BY INDIGENOUS ELITES; AND (3) COUNTRIES SUCH AS POLAND, HUNGARY, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, ROMANIA, AND EAST GERMANY WHERE COMMUNIST REGIMES WERE IMPOSED FROM THE OUTSIDE. FOR OUR PURPOSES IN THIS PAPER WE WILL EXAMINE BRIEFLY THE EXPERIENCE OF (1) THE SOVIET UNION, (2) YUGOSLAVIA AND CUBA, AND (3) POLAND, HUNGARY, AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA. IF POLITICAL CULTURE THEORY IS TO BE FALSIFIED, WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE MAJOR CHANGE IN POLITICAL CULTURE IN THE DESIRED DIRECTION IN ALL THREE CATEGORIES AND TO A LARGER DEGREE IN THE CASE OF THE SOVIET UNION BECAUSE ITS REVOLUTION WAS INDIGENOUS AND HAS BEEN IN OPERATION MORE THAN SIXTY YEARS.