New Institutionalism

1
New Institutionalism

• The Pros Cons
• of Studying Formal Informal Institutions

2
Origins of New Institutionalism

• new institutionalism gt old institutionalism
• old institutionalism
• legalism, structuralism, holism, historicism and
  normative analysis (Peters 1999)
• 1950s-60s
• behaviouralism
• rational choice theory

3

• March Olsen
• The New Institutionalism Organizational
  Factors in Political Life - American Political
  Science Review, 1984
• criticized behaviouralist approach
• - contextualism
• - reductionism
• - utilitarianism
• - instrumentalism
• - functionalism
• March and Olsen historical political processes
  not functional

4

• new institutionalism not unified school of
  thought
• ? political science, economics, history,
  sociology
• different applications
• - empirical institutionalism
• - international institutionalism
• - rational choice institutionalism
• - sociological institutionalism
• - normative institutionalism
• - democratic institutionalism
• - holistic institutionalism
• (Peters 1999, Lane Ersson 2000, Jönsson
  Tallberg 2001)
• ? diversity-within-theory

5

• traditional division of institutionalism
• - rational choice institutionalism
• - historical institutionalism
• - sociological institutionalism
• Rational choice inst
• rules used to aggregate collective actions into
  decisions
• Historical inst
• ideas, official state institutions
• Sociological inst
• structures to provide stability and meaning to
  social behaviour

6
Formal / Informal institutions

• Lane Ersson ? two clusters of definitions
• - institutions as a common usage, set of norms
  or rules
• - institutions as organisations (state
  institutions)
• Informal institutions major influence (Pippidi,
  Ledeneva)
• Not to be ignored formal institutions
• Hybrid approach

7
Conclusion Pros Cons of Institutionalism

• -
• Narrows down approach
• Western theories
• Structured approach
• Viable alternative
• Different applications not mutually exclusive