In the Service of the Soviet State

This chapter examines the role of economics and economists in the Soviet Union. Stalinist policies resulted in a particular model of relations between the social sciences and the state that severely limited the scientific autonomy and professional agency of economists. Despite opportunities for expansion in economic research and education, particularly after World War II, economics remained subordinate to party ideology and academic administration, where it played a predominantly technical role. The postwar resurgence of economics as a political science, driven by heightened Cold War competition and a focus on science and technology for economic and social progress, led to the emergence of new institutions and reformist identities within economics and facilitated dialogue between Western and socialist economists. We also examine how this movement fostered a distinct technocratic mindset and reformist ethos among economists, who sought to introduce various tools to improve existing planning and management practices, yet struggled to balance loyalty to the state with structural constraints.