Urban Communities as Interest Groups in Local Politics: A Conceptual Analysis

Abstract

Urban communities are one the varieties of interest groups in local politics. The study examines the channels and the possibilities of their influence on the political agenda formation. The resources of interaction communities with other political subjects are analyzed. The success of communities in protecting group interests is assessed in terms of factors of two types - internal, reflecting the state and resource base on the communities themselves, and external, primarily institutional. The influence practices in the urban communities on local politics, as well as the degree and barriers to participation in the political processes in large cities in modern Russia are revealed.