The development of an interest group system in a constrained democracy: Montenegro

This article is the first comprehensive examination of Montenegro's interest group system. This system is a product of a combination of traditional influences and recent developments. The major traditional influences are a closed, patriarchal society with strong family and kinship relations, and a nonparticipatory political culture. These combined with over a quarter century of dominance by the ex-communist party have been major impediments to the growth of interest group activity. Despite this, significant developments have occurred in the establishment of new interests and their activities, much of this made possible by the strong presence of various elements of the international community. Nevertheless, Montenegro has a bifurcated interest group system in which a small elite dominates interest group activity, while, for the most part, the mass of society do not participate in political advocacy.