Teaching comparative economic systems 25 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union

Twenty-five years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, we reflect on contemporary teaching of undergraduate comparative economic systems (CES). Using qualitative and quantitative measures, we consider how the field responded to the collapse by examining CES textbooks from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. We also consider how the dissolution of the Soviet Union affected economics course offerings at the undergraduate level. Based on our findings, we suggest two strategies for reimagining CES for the 21st century by: (1) changing textbook organization and content, and (2) incorporating more comparative economic concepts throughout the undergraduate curriculum.