Project objective: To compare and contrast how political actors manipulate institutions in Armenia and Georgia with the goal of staying in power. Primarily interest is the regime’s policy responses to the electorate’s preferences although, arguably, these responses are mediated by the regime’s institutional environment. Thus, the aim of the project is to identify and analyze (1) the political constraints faced by the autocratic ruling party and (2) the regime’s policy responses to voter preferences as shaped by these constraints.
Research design: Literature review, secondary data analysis, focus groups and in-depth interviews.