Oligarchs and Regional Political Machines: Patronage and Elections in the Republic of Georgia
Abstract
In Georgia, post-Soviet privatisation and democratisation led to the emergence of oligarchs and regional political machines that influence the electoral process either by acting as party substitutes or by supporting existing formations. Using an original dataset on Georgian oligarchs, regional political machines and municipal elections, I employ a multilevel mixed-effects model to identify the effect of oligarchs and regional machines on municipal elections between 2010 and 2021. I argue that the support of oligarchs and regional machines significantly influenced the performance of political parties by increasing the percentage of votes received at the municipal level.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Electoral Systems and Political Participation
Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics
Politics and Society in Latin America
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Europe Asia Studies
- Volume
- 78
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 437–467
- Publication date
- 3 February 2026
- Language
- EN