State asemblage in the Republic of Georgia.

Abstract

States of the former communist block have not followed a single, linear path of transition from "plan to market." In the westernmost states, entering the European Union propelled the transformation of communist political and economic institutions. Further east, former Soviet Union (FSU) states exhibit lesser degrees of political pluralism and privatization without a European trajectory of transition. Yet, since its 2003 "Rose Revolution," Georgia's radical departure from the post-Soviet partial-reform status quo has presented important challenges path-dependency arguments about political and economic transition and development. Georgia's transformation exposes a major gap in a literature that has failed to ask how states may rapidly gain new governmental and developmental capacities. To understand Georgia's political and economic transformation after the Rose Revolution this dissertation analyzes the legal reforms and governmental tactics used over 2003-2007 to successfully attract high rates of inward foreign investment (Chapter 2) and to more than triple central government tax revenue (Chapter 3). I use assemblage theory, drawing on concepts developed by Deleuze and Guattari (e.g. 1987) and Delanda (2002; 2006) among others, to analyze the emergence of these new state capacities. Exegesis of an assemblage theory of the state is the focus of Chapter 4. A final, fifth chapter concludes.