Varieties of economic secrecy in the Soviet Union

Expert InsightsPublished 1963

A brief exploration into the history and rationale of the perennial Soviet addiction to secrecy in the economic sphere. This shroud of secrecy may be traced to a decision of the regime, taken in the late 20's, to exclude types of information that might apprize the Russian people that their rulers, without popular consultation, were building up the strategic economic power of the state at the expense of the welfare of the citizenry. The paper concludes that the main purpose of continually blacking out large areas of economic information is a matter of internal security; it is designed to protect the reputation of the ruling elite for infallibility, for infallibility, for a capacity to work economic miracles, entirely free of the hazard of even occasional failure.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 1963
  • Pages: 30
  • Document Number: P-2840

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Varieties of economic secrecy in the Soviet Union. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1963. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P2840.html.
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