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Politics, Law and Psychology are fields that come together in the symbolic. This text takes evidence from those three areas to develop an analysis of political symbols and political transitions. The development of the analysis goes through three stages. The first succinctly describes the concept of transition and its meaning. The second closely examines the notion of the symbol, in terms of its definition, to explain aspects that allow us to understand it, characterise it and make its functions clear. Finally, from the author's experience as a witness and as an actor, I suggest three ways of understanding symbols in the processes of political transition: as symbols of change, as symbols of acknowledgment, and as symbols of support.

THE AUTHORS ASSESS HUNGARY'S TRANSITION FROM COMMUNISM TO DEMOCRACY AND NOTE RELATIVE SUCCESS CHARACTERIZED BY MULTI-PARTY ELECTIONS, A PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WITH A CLEAR DIVISION OF POLITICAL FUNCTIONS, FOREIGN INVESTMENT, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PRIVATE SECTOR. THEY ATTRIBUTE THIS SUCCESS, IN PART, TO THE REFORM EXPERIENCE OF THE COMMUNIST ERA. THEY CONCLUDE THAT FURTHER PROGRESS IS DEPENDENT ON THE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL AS ON THE SUCCESS WITH WHICH NEW GOVERNMENTS TACKLE PROBLEMS OF PROPERTY OWNERSHIP, POPULAR CONSULTATION, AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT.

Civil wars, military coups, & the demise of multiparty states weigh heavily on the performance of African public authorities & the smooth functioning of the body politic. At the local level, political & demographic changes also exceed expectations. Administrators are unprepared to deal with the vast numbers of migrants who are attracted to the burgeoning cities. At the same time, agencies are constantly reorganized & bureaucratic continuity is minimal. Thus, residents are forced to meet political needs through their own efforts, & there has been an increasing Africanization of the polity, as seen in the proliferation of traditional authority figures who adapt their roles as chiefs or patrons to the modern Ur marketplace, & a proliferation of organizations & networks that serve as interest groups or dispute-settlement mechanisms in place of formal governmental institutions. These features can no longer be considered deviations from a prescribed norm; they are an organic part of the political process. Today they account for much of the stability & continuity in Africa's Ur political systems. Modified HA.

Political change in Africa has not met the ex pectations of pre-independence analysts. Civil wars, military coups, and the demise of multi-party states weigh heavily on the performance of public authorities and the smooth functioning of the body politic. At the local level, political and demographic changes also exceed expectations. Ad ministrators are unprepared to deal with the vast numbers of migrants who are attracted to the burgeoning cities. At the same time, agencies are constantly reorganized and bureau cratic continuity is minimal. The result is that residents are forced to meet political needs through their own efforts. To these ends there has been an increasing Africanization of the polity, as seen in the proliferation of traditional authority figures who adapt their roles as chiefs or patrons to the modem urban marketplace, and a proliferation of organizations and networks that serve as interest groups or dispute-settlement mechanisms in place of formal govern mental institutions. Although unanticipated, these features can no longer be considered deviations from a prescribed norm. They are an organic part of the political process. Today they account for much of the stability and con tinuity that are to be found in Africa's urban political systems.

I address the role of social mobility in political transitions. I develop a political economy model of regime transitions that incorporates social mobility as a key feature of the economy capturing the political attitudes toward redistribution. I show that social mobility facilitates democratization by reducing the conflict over redistribution between the rich and the poor. Furthermore, it facilitates democratic consolidation by reducing the likelihood of a coup under democracy. On the other hand, social mobility helps to keep an authoritarian regime stable by reducing the likelihood of mass movements against political elites. 3 Figures, 1 Appendix, 43 References. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Ltd., copyright 2005.]

I address the role of social mobility in political transitions. I develop a political economy model of regime transitions that incorporates social mobility as a key feature of the economy capturing the political attitudes toward redistribution. I show that social mobility facilitates democratization by reducing the conflict over redistribution between the rich and the poor. Furthermore, it facilitates democratic consolidation by reducing the likelihood of a coup under democracy. On the other hand, social mobility helps to keep an authoritarian regime stable by reducing the likelihood of mass movements against political elites.