The Role of Formal and Informal Institutions in Political Participation and Electoral Behavior of Ethnic Minorities. The Case of the Azerbaijanis in Georgia

The paper studies political and electoral behaviour of ethnic Azerbaijanis in Georgia’s Kvemo Kartli region that is home to the largest compact settlement of the respective ethnic group in Georgia, constituting 41,75 % of the local population. The region is located in the southeast Georgia and borders Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is worth noting that the largest compact settlement of ethnic Azerbaijanis within the region is Marneuli municipality, where this community makes up 83.10 % of the local population.. The paper aims to define the level of participation in socio-political processes, highlight factors behind political and electoral behaviour, identify qualifiers influencing their choice and preventing full-fledged participation. The methodology includes quantitative and qualitative components. The findings show that low political participation and high electoral behaviour is influenced by formal and non-formal institutions, while formal institutions often apply non-formal means to communicate with/mobilize the electorate. This is mostly resulting from insufficient social integration and related problems making ethnic Azerbaijanis more vulnerable to political and electoral manipulations.