The Problem of Conceptualization of Informal Institutions: the Case of Lobbying

Abstract

The problem of studying informal institutions of power has existed as long as political relations have, but only in the last quarter-century has this problem begun
to reach the level of scholarly conceptualization. Informal institutions of power exist well beyond the borders of developing states; they are an integral part of the
political process of both Western countries and modern supranational political structures. This article is devoted to the problem of linkage between of the theory of informal institutions and lobbyism, an issue not widely treated in the Russian political science. The activities of interest groups are a key element of the functioning
of modern political systems, including in Russia, but only in a small number of countries does the interaction of interest groups and authorities take the form of a
formal institution. Drawing on the approach of American authors Gretchen Helmke and Stephen Levitsky, the article attempts to analyze the relationship between the
formal and informal aspects of the institution of lobbying.

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