From a Presidential to a Parliamentary Government in Georgia

Abstract

Georgia has been undergoing the process of democratization for several decades now. In this process, an important but often overlooked factor is the interplay between formal and informal institutions. The pessimistic view believes that informal institutions are the key to understanding Georgian politics, whereas a more optimistic view focuses on formal institutions and disregards the former’s significance. This article juxtaposes both phenomena and analyses how incumbent regimes in Georgia have tried to reform the political system. It is argued in this analysis that one has to consider the incumbent’s goal to maintain political power. Consequently, the analysis of two illustrative cases, i.e., moving from a presidential to a parliamentary system and reforming the electoral system, suggests that formal institutions shape the informal practices of political actors and that these informal practices influence what formal rules get adopted or how they are interpreted.