Family Policy Determinants in Post-Communist European Societies

This paper examines the factors that prompt governments to adopt or change family policies following the transition from communism. Previous research found that such factors as low fertility rates, emigration, left governments, proportion of women in parliaments and old-age dependency ratio influence the adoption of family policies in the OECD countries.  I test the relevance of these factors in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and add immigration to the mix. I argue that immigration has become an important consideration when it comes to family policy generosity as formerly closed societies face renewed nationalism and anti-immigrant moods. I present a time-series cross-sectional analysis using an original data set on CEE and FSU. This analysis is part of a larger, multi-equation modeling effort that examines both the causes and effects of fertility policy choices.