The Interrelation between Formal and Informal Mechanisms of the Exercise of Power in Modern Kazakhstan

Abstract

In modern political studies devoted to the analysis of intra-elite alignments, differentiation of the mechanisms of the exercise of power into formal and informal appears more and more often. The main reason for this process is real politics, which can be influenced by a limited number of actors. Therefore, the question is: can people with formal status always influence decision-making processes, or only a small group of actors can influence the rest of the political class and make political decisions. The author has taken the Republic of Kazakhstan as an example to reveal the interrelation between formal and informal mechanisms of the exercise of power. The analysis of the intra-elite alignment in Kazakhstan allows us to assess the real weight of the actors and highlight the list of factors that affect the elite’s position in the chain of command.