Der Übergang zu demokratischen Marktwirtschaften hat sich in vielen Ländern als schwierig herausgestellt, vor allem in Staaten, die von Rohstoffrenten oder ausländischer Hilfe abhängen. In diesem Band werden solche Rentenökonomien und Protektorate in den Blick genommen und Wege aufgezeigt, die es einheimischen und internationalen Akteuren erlauben, aus diesen »Sackgassen der Transformation« herauszufinden.

Many post-war countries such as Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, or Iraq, find the transition to a democratic market economy extremely difficult. Their failure to thrive, Dead Ends of Transition argues, is often the result of a national reliance on rents as is the case with many authoritarian regimes. Rents are usually derived from natural resources, but in the case of post-conflict societies and many least developed countries, rents also originate from foreign aid. Rentier states, the contributors to this study argue, have few incentives to respond to the needs of their societies´ needs. This book identifies new ways in which rentier economies and their international partners could work together to ease the critical transition to democracy.