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The Soft Budget Constraint at 40: Alternative Perspectives on Its Origins

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  • Michael Keren

    (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
    Nofim Towers)

Abstract

The soft budget constraint (SBC) is over 40 years old and may seem too well known by now to need elucidation. In this paper, I discuss its origin and its causes. The concept of the soft budget constraint was coined by János Kornai, but the origin of the phenomenon that the term captures deserves discussion. Here, I ask why the SBC phenomenon came into being. Kornai considers it a manifestation of paternalism toward SOEs by superior bodies that refuse to let them go under due to symbiotic solidarity with their subordinates. I contend that there are stronger reasons, reasons that inhere in the very core of the bureaucratic allocation system—the method of material balances—that cannot allow enterprises to die just because they generate losses.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Keren, 2021. "The Soft Budget Constraint at 40: Alternative Perspectives on Its Origins," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 63(1), pages 139-146, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:compes:v:63:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1057_s41294-020-00134-z
    DOI: 10.1057/s41294-020-00134-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. János Kornai, 2014. "The soft budget constraint," Acta Oeconomica, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 64(supplemen), pages 25-79, November.
    2. J. Kornai & E. Maskin & G. Roland, 2004. "Understanding the Soft Budget Constraint," Voprosy Ekonomiki, NP Voprosy Ekonomiki, issue 11.
    3. Kornai, Janos, 1992. "The Socialist System: The Political Economy of Communism," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198287766.
    4. Kornai, J, 1979. "Resource-Constrained versus Demand-Constrained Systems," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(4), pages 801-819, July.
    5. Manove, Michael, 1971. "A Model of Soviet-Type Economic Planning," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 61(3), pages 390-406, June.
    6. repec:cup:entsoc:v:19:y:2018:i:03:p:546-560_00 is not listed on IDEAS
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Soviet-type economies; Hardness of budget constraint; Causes of soft budget constraints; Kornai;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P21 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Planning, Coordination, and Reform
    • P26 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Property Rights
    • P31 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Socialist Enterprises and Their Transitions

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