Hegedûs, József-Tosics, Iván
Transformation of the Central East European Housing Systems

This paper gives an overview on the potential directions of restructuring of the East European Housing Model and discusses the factors influencing the choice between these directions. Despite the mass privatization of the state rental stock, there is no evidence in the East-Central-European countries of a clear market orientation of the housing system. There are strong political and institutional interests existing which demand - a special housing system, dominated by the non-market type of private sector. The real market-oriented restructuring of the housing system can only be carried out parallel to the real modernization of the economic, social and political systems.
 

Juhász, Pál
Lessons in the Interest of a New Order in Agriculture

The significant difference between the EU and the Hungarian agricultural structure cannot be eliminated. In the sense whether our agriculture has an agreeable structure, it should be seen that it is not conform to that of the EU. It may be an obstacle in the way of the branch getting support from the resources of the Common Agricultural Policy, preferring family farms. However, the difference does not hinder our accession, nor our integration if the question is approached in the sense whether our agriculture can be competitive under the conditions of market economy and Union membership. Therefore fitting the production system into the EU should not be done by forced transformation but setting out from the given situation and utilising its possibilities, it can be achieved by improving its ability to react amidst conditions of the market economy. Such an approach can also be harmonised with Union logic, according to which the existing, the operational "should be respected".
 

Lengyel, György
Economic Actors and Attitudes

The paper investigates the groups of entrepreneurs and employees. One of the crucial developments of the social structure in the '90s is the emergence of an entrepreneurial class of some 700 000. The developments, however, are contradictory in many and illusory in some respects. Less than half of the entrepreneurial class is characterized by profit-oriented calculative behaviour, by the separation of household and business, and by investing rather than consuming profit.

Between 1993 and 1996 on-third of the small enterprises closed down. Survival is more frequent among forced entrepreneurs than among those who tried to realize their market ideas, since the latter are often part-time businesses which can be given up more easily.

Enterpreneurial inclinations are on the decline, the arguments against entrepreneurship have shifted from a mentality of risk avoidance to shortage of capital.

Private property, the tertiary sector and the inactive population have risen to predominance. Moreover, a new dual structure has evolved in economy, the dividing line being drawn between the small ventures and large enterprises. While earlier the first and second economies overlapped, as the persons acting in both were the same, now the actors are different in the two halves. The internal labour market is accessible to some one-fifth of job-takers, characterizing mostly the by large enterprises and institutions, especially in finance. However, fears of unemployment are considerably increasing in other intellectual and white-collar groups.
 

Bornemisza, Eszter-Csepeli, György
Eliminating Evasive Answer Bias

This article has attempted to validate randomized response models. Warner has developed a method for investigation of "sensitive" issues. This method was applied on a sample of individuals where we have already known the distribution of responses in relation to a given sensitive issue. Results of validation have demonstrated efficiency: observed distribution fitted to real distribution.