Abram Bergson was forty-years old and well on the way to becoming the “Dean of Soviet Economics” in the United States when he taught the following course on the structure of the Soviet Economy at Columbia University.
Bergson, along with my Yale professors Mike Montias and Ray Powell together with my M.I.T. dissertation supervisor Evsey Domar, got me hooked on the economic theory of index numbers. For my fellow index number nerds I link to a draft of my homage à Bergson “The ‘Welfare Standard’ and Soviet Consumers” that I presented at the Abram Bergson memorial conference (published in Comparative Economic Studies, 2005, vol. 47, issue 2, pp. 333-345).
The reading list for Bergson’s Economics of Socialism (Harvard, 1977) has been posted earlier at Economics in the Rear-view Mirror.
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Course Announcement
Economics 145 (Russian Institute)—Structure of the Soviet Economy. 2 pts. Professor Bergson
Tu. Th. 11. 403 Schermerhorn.
Analytical and statistical survey of the growth, operating principles, and organization of the economy of the Soviet Union under the Five-Year Plans, with attention to resources, population and labor, agriculture, industry, and domestic and foreign trade.
Source: Announcement of the Faculty of Political Science for the Winter and Spring Sessions, 1954-1955. Printed as Columbia University, Bulletin of Information. Vol. 54, No. 123 (June 19, 1954), p. 36.
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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
RUSSIAN INSTITUTE
Winter Session, 1954-55
Economics 145
Structure of the
Soviet Economy
- THE RATE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH UNDER THE FIVE YEAR PLANS: ALTERNATIVE MEASURES.
Assigned Reading
Clark, C.; Gerschenkron, A.: “Russian Income and Production Statistics,” Review of Economic Statistics, Nov. 1947.
Dobb, M., “A Comment on Soviet Economic Statistics,” Soviet Studies, June 1949.
Gerschenkron, A., A Dollar Index of Soviet Machinery Output, The RAND Corporation 1951, Chs. 1-4.
Jasny, N., The Soviet Economy during the Plan Era, Stanford 1951.
Kaplan, N.M., “Arithmancy, Theomancy and the Soviet Economy,” Journal of Political Economy, April 1953.
Bergson, A., “Reliability and Usability of Soviet Statistics: Summary Appraisal,” American Statistician, June-July 1953.
Chapman, J. “Real Wages in the Soviet Union, 1928-52, Review of Economics and Statistics, May 1954.
Other References:
Baykov, A., “Postwar Economic Development….”, Univ. of Birmingham Bulletins, May 1953.
Bergson, A., “Soviet National Income: and Product in 1937,” New York 1953.
Clark, C., “The Valuation of Real Income in the Soviet Union,” Review of Economic Progress, Feb. and Mar. 1949.
Dobb, M., “A Comment on Soviet Statistics,” Review of Economic Statistics, Feb. 1948.
Harris, S.E.; Gerschenkron, A.; Bergson, A.; Baran, P.; and Yugow, A.: “Appraisals of Russian Economic Statistics,” Nov. 1947.
Hodgman, D., “Industrial Production,”;and Galenson, W., “Industrial Labor Productivity,” in Bergson, A., ed., Soviet Economic Growth, Evanston, Ill., 1953.
Kasdan, S., “Relationship between Machinery and Steel Production in Russia and the United States,” Review of Economics and Statistics, Feb. 1952.
Rice, S.; Schwartz, H.; Lorimer, F.; Gerschenkron, A.; Volin, L., “Reliability and Usability of Soviet Statistics,” American Statistician, April-May, June-July 1953.
Wyler, J., “The National Income of the Soviet Union,” Social Research Dec. 1946.
- SOVIET ECONOMIC GROWTH: SURVEY OF CONDITIONS AND PERSPECTIVES.
Assigned Reading
Grossman, G., “National Income”; Kaplan, N.M., “Capital Formation and Allocation”;
“Industrial Resources”; and Comments on foregoing in Bergson, Soviet Economic Growth.
“Directives on the Fifth Five Year Plan,” pp. 21-28, Malenkov Report, pp. 106-115, in L. Gruliow, ed., Current Soviet Policies, New York, 1953.
Dobb, M., “Rates of Growth under the Five Year Plans,” Soviet Studies, April 1953.
Other References
Balzak et al., Economic Geography of the USSR, New York 1949.
Blackman, J.A., „Transportation,” and comments on this essay in Bergson, Soviet Economic Growth.
Hoeffding, O., Soviet National Income and Product in 1928, New York 1954.
Bergson, A. and Heymann, H., “Soviet National Income and Product 1940-48.”
Schwartz, H., Russia’s Soviet Economy, 2nd ed. New York 1954, Ch. XV.
Shimkin, D., Minerals—A Key to Soviet Power, Cambridge, 1953.
Wiles, Peter, “Soviet Russia Outpaces the West,” Foreign Affairs, July 1953.
- AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: THE DECISION ON COLLECTIVIZATION.
Assigned Reading
Dobb, M., Soviet Economic Development since 1917, New York 1948, Chs. VIII-IX.
Erlich, A., “Preobrajenski and the Economics of Soviet Industrialization, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Feb. 1950.
Stalin, J.V., Selected Writings. “On the Grain Front,” “Right Danger,” “Right Deviation,” “Problems of Agrarian Policy,” “The Policy of Eliminating the Kulaks as a Class,” “Dizzy with Success.”
Other References
Baykov, A., Development of the Soviet Economic System, New York, 1946, Ch. XII.
Dobb, M. Soviet Economic Development since 1917, Ch. X.
Maynard, J., Russia in Flux, New York 1948, Chs. XVI, XIX.
- AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: TRENDS UNDER THE FIVE YEAR PLANS: PERSPECTIVES.
Assigned Reading
Schwartz, H. Russia’s Soviet Economy, Chs. VIII, IX.
Jasny, N., The Socialized Agriculture of the USSR, Stanford 1949, pp. 1-99.
Timoshenko, V.P., “Agricultural Resources”; Kershaw, J., “Agricultural Output and Employment”; and comments on these essays in Bergson, Soviet Economic Growth.
Volin, L., “The Malenkov-Khrushchev New Economic Policy”, Journal of Political Economy, June 1954.
Other References
Baykov, Development of the Soviet Economic System, Ch. XVII.
Baykov., A., “Agricultural Development in the USSR,” Univ. of Birmingham, Bulletins on Soviet Economic Development, December 1951, May 1953.
in, G.; Schwarz, S.; and Yugow, A., Management in Russian Industry and Agriculture, New York 1944. Ch. X – XVII.
Finegood, I.M., “A Critical Analysis of Some Concepts Concerning Soviet Agriculture,”
Soviet Studies, July 1952.
Hubbard, L.E., Economics of Soviet Agriculture, London 1939.
Maynard, Russia in Flux, Ch. XX.
Schlesinger, R.A.J., “Some Problems of Present Kolkhoz Organization, Soviet Studies, April 1951. See also the further discussion by Jasny, Nove and Schlesinger in Soviet Studies, Oct. 1951, Jan. 1952.
Volin, L., “Turn of the Screw in Soviet Agriculture,” Foreign Affairs, Jan. 1952.
- LABOR RECRUITMENT AND WAGE POLICY; INEQUALITY
Assigned Reading
Bergson, A., Structure of Soviet Wages, Cambridge, Mass., 1944 Chs. IV, X – XIV, Conclusion and Appendix F.
Inkeles, A., “Social Stratification and Mobility in the Soviet Union: 1940-1950,” American Sociological Review, August 1950.
Deutscher, I., Soviet Trade Unions, New York 1950.
Gsovski, V., Soviet Labor Law, Monthly Labor Review, March, April 1951.
Other References
Barker, G.R., “Soviet Labor,” Univ. of Birmingham, Bulletins on Soviet Economic Development, June 1951.
Baykov, Development of the Soviet Economic System, Chs. XIII, XVIII.
Bergson, “On Inequality of Incomes in the USSR,” American Slavic and East European Review”, April 1951.
Bienstock, Schwarz and Vugow, Management in Soviet Industry and Agriculture, Ch. VIII.
Dobb, Soviet Economic Development since 1917, Ch. XVI.
Eason, W.W., “Population and Labor Force,” and comments in Bergson, Soviet Economic Growth.
Gordon, M. Workers before and after Lenin, New York 1941.
Hubbard, L.E., Soviet Labor and Industry, London 1942.
Schwartz, Russia’s Soviet Economy. Ch. XIII.
Schwarz, Solomon, Labor in the Soviet Union, New York 1952.
- FISCAL POLICY AND THE PRICE LEVEL
Assigned Reading
Berliner, J. S., “Monetary Planning in the USSR,” American Slavic and East European Review, Dec. 1950.
Dobb, Soviet Economic Development since 1917. Ch. XIV.
Holzman, F.D, “Commodity and Income Taxation in the Soviet Union,” Journal of Political Economy, Oct. 1950.
Holzman, F.D, “The Soviet Budget, 1928-1952,” National Tax Journal, Sept. 1953.
Other References
Arnold, A.Z., Banks, Credit and Money in Soviet Russia. New York 1937.
Baran, P.A., “Currency Reform in the USSR,” Harvard Business Review, March 1948.
Baykov, Development of the Soviet Economic System. Ch. XIX.
Baykov, A. and Barker G.R. “Financial Developments in the USSR,” Univ. of Birmingham, Bulletins on Soviet Economic Development, August 1950.
Bergson, A., Soviet National Income and Product in 1937. New York 1953.
Holzman, F.D., “The Burden of Soviet Taxation,” American Economic Review, Sept. 1953.
Bogolepov, M.I., The Soviet Financial System. (Pamphlet) London 1945.
Hubbard, L.E., Soviet Money and Finance, London 1936.
Reddaway, W.B., The Russian Financial System, London 1935.
Schwartz, Russia’s Soviet Economy. Ch. XII.
Davies, R.W., “Finance,” Univ. of Birmingham, Bulletins on Soviet Economic Development, December 1952.
- THEORY OF SOCIALIST ECONOMICS
Assigned Reading
Dobb, Soviet Economic Development since 1917, Ch. I.
Lange, O., “On the Economic Theory of Socialism,” In B. Lippincott, ed., O. Lange, F. Taylor, On the Economic Theory of Socialism, Minneapolis 1938.
Other References
Bergson, A., “Socialist Economics,” in H. Ellis, ed. A Survey of Contemporary Economics, Philadelphia 1948.
Dickinson, H.D., Economics of Socialism, Oxford 1939.
Dobb, M., Political Economy and Capitalism, New York 1940.
Hayek, F.A., ed., Collectivist Economic Planning, London 1935.
Lenin, V.I. State and Revolution.
Marx, K., Critique of the Gotha Programme, Political Economy in the Soviet Union (Pamphlet) New York, International Publishers, 1944.
Stalin, J., Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR, Moscow, 1952.
- ECONOMICS OF THE FIRM
Assigned Reading
Bienstock, Schwarz and Yugow: Management in Russian Industry and Agriculture, Chs. I — VI, IX.
Granick, D., “Initiative and Independence of Soviet Plant Management,” Plant Management, American Slavic and East European Review, Oct. 1951.
Berliner, J., “The Informal Organization of the Soviet Firm,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, August 1952.
Other References
Arakelian, A., Industrial Management in the USSR, Washington, D.C. 1950.
Baykov, Development of the Soviet Economic System, Chs. XI, XVI.
Granick, D., Management of the Industrial Firm in the USSR, New York 1954.
Hubbard, L.E., Soviet Labor and Industry.
- GENERAL PLANNING
Assigned Reading
Baykov, Development of the Soviet Economic System, Chs. XIV, XV, XX.
Dobb, Soviet Economic Development since 1917, Ch. I, XIII.
Hunter, H., “Planning of Investments in the Soviet Union,” Review of Economic Statistics, February 1949.
Grossman, G., “Scarce Capital and Soviet Doctrine,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, Aug. 1953.
Jasny, N., The Soviet Price System, Stanford 1951, Chs. I-IV.
Other References
Bettleheim, C., “On the Problem of Choice between Alternative Investment Projects,” Soviet Studies, July 1950.
Brutzkus, B., Economic Planning in Soviet Russia, London 1935.
Dobb, M., “The Problem of Choice between Alternative Investment Projects,” Soviet Studies, January 1951.
Eason, W., “On Strumilin’s Model,” Soviet Studies, April 1950.
Jasny, N., Soviet Prices of Producers’ Goods, Stanford 1952.
Kaplan, N., “Investment Alternatives…,” Jour. of Polit. Econ., April 1952.
Kursky, A., The Planning of the National Economy of the USSR, Moscow 1949.
Lange, O., The Working Principles of the Soviet Economy, New York 1943. (Pamphlet)
Miller, J., “Some Recent Developments in Soviet Economic Thought,” Soviet Studies, September 1949.
Miller J., ed., “Three Articles on the Effectiveness of Investments,” Soviet Studies, April 1950.
“Problems of Planning Capital Investment,” The Current Digest of the Soviet Press, Vol. II, No. 1, Feb. 18, 1950. “Planning Capital Investment II,” The Current Digest of the Soviet Press, Vol. II, No. 3, March 4, 1950.
Schwartz, Russia’s Soviet Economy, Ch. V.
Zauberman, “Economic Thought in the Soviet Union,” Review of Economic Studies, 1949-1950, Nos. 39-40.
Zauberman, A., “Prospects for Soviet Investigations into Capital Efficiency,” Soviet Studies, April, 1950.
- FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS
Assigned Reading
Gerschenkron, A., Economic Relations with the USSR (The Committee on International Economic Policy in Cooperation with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace), New York 1943.
Hoeffding, O., “Soviet Economic Relations with the Orbit”; Schwartz, H., “East-West Trade”; and comments on these essays in Bergson, Soviet Economic Growth.
Other References
Baykov, A., Soviet Foreign Trade, Princeton 1946, Chs. II – VI.
Condoide, M.V., Russian-American Trade, Columbus, Ohio 1946.
Dewar, M., Soviet Trade with Eastern Europe, New York 1951.
Gerschenkron, A., “Russia’s Trade in the Postwar Years,” The Annals, May 1949.
Kerblay, B.H., “Economic Relations of the USSR…,” Univ. of Birmingham, Bulletins on Soviet Economic Development, March 1951.
Schwartz, Russia’s Soviet Economy, Ch. XIV.
Yugow, A., Russia’s Economic Front for War and Peace, Ch. V.
Source: Columbia University Libraries, Manuscript Collections. Joseph Dorfman Collection, Box 13, Unlabeled Folder containing miscellaneous course reading lists.
Image Source: Tourist Card for Citizens of American Countries for a Thirty-Day Stay in Brazil (20 Aug. 1962) of Abram Bergson.
One reply on “Columbia. Structure of the Soviet Economy, Reading assignments. Bergson, 1954-1955”
Bravo!
An impressive reading list. I noticed that Bergson includes Jasny despite the bad blood between them. He also includes Kaplan’s unkind JPE article.
Index numbers! With regard to your paper, you mention Neary and Roberts. Neary retuned to issues similar to your paper in his AER on the Penn World Tables and some of his other work.