Drawing on political sources from Czechoslovakia, Poland, the Soviet Union, Romania and Bulgaria, Perceptions of Society in Communist Europe examines what the communist regimes knew about public opinion, how they obtained that information and how it affected their view on society and their social policies.

Contrary to popular belief, communist regimes wished to satisfy their respective societies in order to maintain themselves in power with minimal resort to violence. This entailed a permanent negotiation process between the rulers and the ruled, with public approval of...