ABSTRACT
If the claim is to be made that the dominant feature of Kazakhstan's post-Soviet political development is a regime underpinned by neopatrimonial characteristics, then the questions to be addressed are how did this form of politics emerge? How does it function and manifest itself? What is the context in which informal political relations and behaviour relate to the development of political parties? Scholars of Central Asia have been keen to pursue a cultural and structural legacy explanation for the dominance of informal politics and identity in post-Soviet political development (Collins, 2006; Schatz, 2004; Jones Luong, 2002). Certainly, historical legacy is bound to be a particularly vigorous factor in shaping post-Soviet trajectories and influencing political leadership. However, the contingent and uncertain process of political and economic transition can also define the way political actors behave and the kind of relationships that tie them together in collective action.
