Trapped in informality? A study of informal politics in Georgia’s Javakheti
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13102440 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Vincenc Kopeček (0000-0001-8482-8419, University of Ostrava, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 60-78 |
| Publication date | 2018-06-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Caucasus Survey (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2376-1199 • E-ISSN: 2376-1202 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/23761199.2018.1480191 |
| OpenAlex | W2805243534 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 35 |
The article focuses on Javakheti, Georgia’s historical region with a predominantly ethnic Armenian population, in which informal political institutions play a crucial role. The article is largely based on field research which was conducted in three stages in 2011, 2015, and 2017. At first, I introduce the concept of informal politics. Contrary to the popular perception of informality as something negative and undesirable, I argue that informality is neither negative, nor positive, and that it is rather some of the byproducts of informal institutions, such as corruption, clientelism, blackmailing etc., which can be perceived as negative. Then, on the examples of five exogenous shocks, I demonstrate how the formal and informal in Javakheti coexists in a form of dynamic equilibrium. Finally I argue that the prevalence of informal politics in Javakheti should be seen as the second best strategy of Javakheti’s political elite as well as of the Tbilisi-based government, whose demands on the formal institutional arrangement in Javakheti were incompatible
Clientelism · Democracy · Economic growth · Economics · Elite · Ethnic group · Field (mathematics · Government (linguistics · Informal sector · Language change · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Population · Sociology · Corruption and Economic Development · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
From democratization to disintegration
The Conduct of Inquiry in International Relations
Clan Politics and Regime Transition in Central Asia
Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance
Understanding Post-Soviet Transitions
The Informal Post-Socialist Economy
When Informal Institutions Change
Informal Institutions and Comparative Politics
Liberalism and shadow interventionism in post-revolutionary Georgia (2003–2012)
Introduction
Informality as illegality in Georgia’s anti-mafia campaign
Minority Political Inclusion in Mikheil Saakashvili's Georgia
Informality Rules
Corruption and organized crime in Georgia before and after the ‘Rose Revolution’
Corruption in Kyrgyzstan
Managing ethnic diversity in Georgia
The dangers of reform
Filling the Void
Pathologies of Europeanisation
Georgian Local Government Reform
The construction of success in anti-corruption activity in Georgia
Informal Institutions and Democracy
Subversive institutions, informal governance, and contemporary Russian politics
The co-ordination of conflict prevention and development aid in southern Georgia
Sampling Knowledge
The New Georgia
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |