Csaba Lentner - East of Europe, west of Asia

1.2 The structure of the book, its theoretical foundation | 13
large expenditures. Thus, these expenditures can be covered only by a state the
production of which is large and valuable enough. Therefore, its citizens have
a surplus beyond their actual needs, and this surplus allows them to constantly
contribute to the state expenditures without offending their wealth”. Máriássy
expects the self-dependent state, i.e. the most successful institution, possibly
originally of a legal nature, to aid the hurt, undeveloped economy. It means
– through well organized budgetary procedures – the support of business
life, interference into market conditions – as the classical example of Smith
shows – possibly until the market requires that, and until market elements
recover and culminate again. 11
For the reason of the “delayed settlement” of the Hungarians, the “underdevelopment”
and the “hindrance” (Turkish wars, Habsburg suppression,
Soviet sphere of influence, the non-autonomous and ineffective economic
policy during the transition to a market economy), respectively, a pursuit
“beyond power” for catching up in economic development can be observed
in each investigated era, where the state played mostly a catalysing role. In
other words, except the transition to a neoliberal market economy, the contours
of a “state-organized” and state-built market or planned economy
structures have evolved. In the neoliberal market economy system the state
also has a central role; however, it mainly cuts back state property and “sets
back” state regulation and control. It can also be stated in advance that, to
the contrary of international examples that had a lot of time for preparation
and implementation in course of the establishment of state autonomy, the
economic administration of Hungary aiming at the development of economic
conjuncture was relatively rapid. This “forced” administration tried – as
a “background actor” – to achieve catching up and attain full growth of the
functioning of the state. It is also evident that unsuccessful attempts to catch
up with the economy and their accumulation have led to a more active regulatory
environment. 12 Our economic administration in the studied terms
– due to a failure at the final points experienced in the above mentioned
courses – has become increasingly intense, because it has always targeted
the developed countries and wanted to make up lost ground regarding the
catching up attempts. The formation of legal norms regulating the behaviour
of economic operators was therefore characterized by rapid dynamism.
The aim of the book is:
– to describe and draw a parallel among the main features of the five eras’
economic administration such as the measures of state authority affecting
economy and to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of these economic
management systems;
– to investigate what effect the fiscal policy (the government) and the operation
of the central bank have on each other;
– to search for and systematize the major theories of political science and
public finance determining the given eras;
– to reveal and systematize the effect of the state on the actors of economy.