Comparing legislative networks and democratic reforms in three post-Soviet states

This research compares legislative networks in charge of drafting democratic reforms in three post-Soviet states , as it reveals the central role of effective gatekeepers played by decision-makers at this early stage. The article illustrates the adaptation of the strategies developed by domestic actrors for control of the norm-adoption process in three different political regimes - Armenia, Georgia and Moldova. The paper argues that the composition of legislative networks that draft the legal reforms is controlled by powerful political actors that seek to see their preferences reflected in the reform outcomes. Therefore, powerful domestic actors concentrate their efforts in the control of the norm drafting process. The research uses a combination of Social Network Analysis and Qualitative Comparative Analysis in the analysis of the political reforms in the fields of Rule of Law, Inter-constitutional accountability and Electoral accountability in Armenia, Georgia and Moldova in the period between 2000 and 2019. The comparison among different countries, political fields and over time allows to account for the different factors that influence the composition of the legislative networks. Preliminary findings suggest that the concentration of political power is a significant factor in the formation and function of legislative networks, influencing the process and outcomes of reforms. The study also emphasizes the importance of civil society and opposition parties, as well as the influence of informal institutions and international actors on the strategies developed by domestic actors to control the work of legislative networks. This research contributes to the broader understanding of political networks in post-Soviet states, demonstrating the value of integrating QCA and SNA for the study of legislative networks. The findings provide insights that are relevant for the analysis of political reforms in other hybrid regimes.