WHO SUPPORTS MARKETIZATION AND DEMOCRATIZATION IN POSTCOMMUNIST ROMANIA

The post-1989 change in former Communist societies in East and Central Europe is generally viewed as a double transition involving both mark etization (removal of state hegemony over the economy) and democratiza tion (move to a Western-style liberal democracy). Data front a nationw ide survey of Romania in 1993 demonstrates that Romanians in fact dist inguish two reform dimensions-marketization and democratization-as opp osed to a single ''pro-Westernization'' dimension. Though Romanians di stinguish marketization and democratization conceptually support for r eform in both instances is strongest among the same segments of the po pulation: the young, the better educated, men and those living in citi es. Further analysis reveals that the effects of age, gender and urban residence (but not education) largely wash out once the effects of ri sk aversion, individualistic ideology and personal economic expectatio ns are controlled for Risk aversion is an especially important mediati ng variable. Men, the young, and those in cities are more likely to su pport marketization and democratization in large part because they ten d to be less averse to risk.