C-5 Formalizing the Informal: Analysis of the Formalization of Informal Institutions in Madagascar

The purpose of this paper is to explain the processes involved in the formalization of informal institutions during the recurring crises in Madagascar since its independence in 1960. The process is complex and marked by successive political events engineered by Malagasy political entrepreneurs. The formalization of the informal institutions does not neutralize any given political crisis. Instead, it reduces the effects and intensities of the crisis and displaces it to a different sphere until the emergence of another crisis. The recurring crises are within a cycle that seems “unbreakable” because of the strategic approaches that the Malagasy politicians use. Process tracing will be used to conduct the analysis.