Abstract
The article presents a comprehensive analysis of local self-government (LSG) reforms in Kazakhstan from 2018 to 2023, framed as a transition to the "Hearing State" concept. The authors examine three key areas of modernization: fiscal decentralization (introduction of the Level 4 budget), direct elections of rural Akims, and the transition to a majoritarian electoral system for maslikhats. Based on an analysis of electoral statistics, fiscal data, and the sociological portrait of deputies of the VIII convocation, an "institutional trap" is identified: despite procedural democratization, local bodies remain factually dependent on the executive vertical through mechanisms of the "budgetary leash" and "dual subordination." Particular attention is paid to the emergence of surrogate governance mechanisms, such as the "memorandum economy," "digital populism," and the use of traditional institutions (Asar, Zhylu) to compensate for the deficit of state resources. The conclusion posits the hybrid nature of the current LSG model and the need for deeper structural reforms to achieve genuine autonomy.