The Acceleration of Socioeconomic Development: Its Essence and Sources

The Twenty-seventh CPSU Congress, creatively developing Marxist-Leninist theory and taking contemporary internal and international conditions into account, articulated the new frontiers that Soviet society must reach in economic, social, and political areas and in its intellectual life. The attainment of these frontiers will make it possible to disclose in full measure the historical advantages, the vast creative potential, and the humanistic essence of the socialist system.

Theoretical Questions Regarding the Structure of the Economy

Developed socialism, even at its initial stage, can significantly increase the possibilities for the resolution of far-reaching economic and social problems. A necessary and essential condition for the exploitation of these possibilities, for the rational use of existing economic potential, and for the multiplication of the fruits of collective labor is an economic mechanism built on solid foundations. This is of particular importance today insofar as "our task," as Iu. V. Andropov wrote in an article called "The Teachings of Karl Marx and Certain Questions Regarding the Building of Socialism in the USSR,">sup>1>/sup> "which is to improve and restructure our economic mechanism as well as the forms and methods of its management, has not kept pace with the needs of Soviet society at this stage of its material and technical and social and spiritual development."

The Interaction of the Productive Forces and Production Relations

The Soviet economy has developed to a point where profound qualitative change is urgently required. Such change is required in the technical base of production, in the forms of its social organization, and in the socialist management mechanism. "The development of Soviet society," the April (1985) Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee emphasized, "will in decisive measure be determined by qualitative changes in the economy, by its conversion to intensive growth, and by an all-round increase in effectiveness. It is specifically from these positions that the situation in the national economy must be evaluated and future tasks must be articulated."

The Russian School of Economic Thought The Search for Self-Determination

What is the correlation between the national and the international in economic science? How do the concepts of �economic thought,� �economic science� (or �analysis�), and �economic policy� correlate? Does a Russian economic school exist as a particular area of world economic thought, inseparably linked with the historical, ethnocultural, and other specific features of the development of our country? All of these questions are at the center of the debate that was launched in the course of discussion of the paper by Academician L.I. Abalkin that was presented at the conference �The Russian School of Economic Thought: Past and Present.� Taking into account the significant interest that has traditionally been manifested by our academic (and not only academic) community in the question of a special way of Russian development, as well as the acute clash between national-state and liberal-democratic directions in domestic economic thought, the editors are publishing a selection of materials, including the journal versions of the paper by L. Abalkin and the most interesting presentations in the debate.

Qualitative Changes in the Structure of the Financial Market and Capital Flight from Russia

The scale of capital flight from Russia in the 1990s has had an extremely negative impact on investment volume, and, together with other factors, has helped to destroy the country's production, intellectual, and social potential. At the same time, capital flight is more than just a national problem. It is a constituent link in the world financial crisis, under the conditions of growing globalization of the economy and increasing involvement of individual countries in that process. The substantive, and, first and foremost, political-economic, study of qualitatively new phenomena in the development of world financial capital, changes in its structure, and the assessment of burgeoning threats thus requires the serious and coordinated efforts of both academics and practitioners.

Overdue Changes

The practical-science conference "Social Priorities and Mechanisms of Economic Transformation in Russia," organized by the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia, and the Moscow city government, was conducted on May 12-13, 1998. Participating in the conference were representatives of executive and legislative authorities, regional administrative bodies, trade unions, scientific institutions, and business and financial circles. The conference participants worked in three sections: "Ways of Reforming the Social Support of the Population," "Labor, Employment, and Quality of Life," and "Macroeconomic and Financial Mechanisms of Social Development."

The Tasks of Economic Science and Problems of Restructuring the Scientific Activity of the Institute of Economics of the USSR Academy of Sciences

By publishing the abridged report presented by Academician L. I. Abalkin, director of the Institute of Economics, USSR Academy of Sciences, at the Institute's Academic Council on 28 March 1991 and the "Basic Directions of Scientific Research of the Institute of Economics, USSR Academy of Sciences," the journal's editors invite all interested persons and organizations, especially the heads and collectives of union, republic, and regional institutes of the Academy, to take part in a discussion of the questions raised.

Economic Theory on the Path to a New Paradigm

Everyday concerns, numerous preoccupations, and political passions absorb a large part of modern man's time and effort. The majority of society and statesmen burdened by current problems can hardly reflect seriously on global changes taking place in the world and the historical fate of mankind.