DECOLLECTIVIZATION OF AGRICULTURE AND THE PLANNED-ECONOMY

Theory: I take a resource dependence perspective on the reform of coll ectivized agriculture. Hypothesis: Collective farms resist breakup if they are dependent on resources distributed through the command econom y. The state's role in the distribution of resources is explained by i ts relationship to the peasantry before collectivization. Methods: I u se comparative case histories of Russian and Chinese agriculture. Resu lts: Large-scale decollectivization of agriculture will not occur in R ussia as long as collective farms remain dependent on redistribution t hrough the state apparatus. The role of collectivization in the state- building process explains why the Soviet collective farm was tied stro ngly to the state, while the Chinese collective farm was not.