The Role of Informal Institutions in Policy Implementation: the Case of Illegal Immigration into the United States.

Why are some policies successful while others are not? Among numerous factors influencing the effectiveness of public policies the existence and efficacy of informal institutions might have a significant explanatory power. The outcomes of formal institutional policies can be undermined, or in contrast, be complemented by informal institutions. This paper examines the role of informal institutions in policy implementation. More specifically, it investigates how informal institutions influence the effectiveness of immigration policies of the United States.Policy implementation literature focuses on the following factors as determinants of policy success: 1) realizable policy expectations; 2) effective policy tools; and 3) implementation. What is missing in the literature is a consideration of informal institutions influencing the effectiveness of public policies. This paper sets out to address this research and policy gap. This research project is based on a single case study of low-wage labor migration from Kyrgyzstan to the United States. It relies on multiple data sources, including in-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 labor migrants, Kyrgyz policy makers, U.S. consular officers; and analysis of migration laws and regulations of the United States and Kyrgyzstan. The policy implications of this study are significant. Informal institutions play an active and important role in the implementation of immigration policy and, thus should be taken into account in the early stages of policy design. They obviously influence the effectiveness of immigration policy and should be considered an important variable in the evaluation of immigration and other policies. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]