Making Sense of Institutions

Slide 1: Making sense of Institutions

Slide 2: How do we make sense out of them?

Slide 3: We need to understand how institutions play a role as part of political systems

Slide 4: Also how they are affected as part of political systems.

Slide 5: They call this approach INSTITUTIONALISM

Slide 6: But first.

Slide 7: Institutions What are institutions?

Slide 8: Are they institutions?

Slide 9: Are they institutions?

Slide 10: They are institutions.

Slide 11: They are institutions.

Slide 12: Institutions are Formal and informal structures that can influence social behavior

Slide 13: They can: Constrain / Empower Prevent / Enable

Slide 14: For Institutionalism Institutions are: Independent Variables – I(d)V Values Ideals Norms

Slide 15: Intervening Variables – I(t)V Less visible rules, routines and practices, but important ones.

Slide 16: Dependent Variables – DV Characteristics Outcomes

Slide 17: Institutionalism sounds easy, right. NOT!

Slide 18: Like everything else, it’s a matter of perspective. There are more ways than one at looking at things.

Slide 19: RATIONAL CHOICE INSTITUTIONALISM

Slide 20: Theoretical Perspective HUMAN ACTION – the cornerstone of any social scientific explanation

Slide 21: Human beings are UTILITY MAXIMIZERS

Slide 22: Actors are INDEPENDENT OF CONTEXT

Slide 23: What are Agents and Institutions?

Slide 24: INSTITUTIONS They are mazes and hurdles on the way to a prize.

Slide 25: They provide a formal set of rules that structure relationships

Slide 26: AGENTS They are actors who negotiate with the rules.

Slide 27: They adapt to the rules and use them strategically.

Slide 28: How do Institutions change?

Slide 29: COST - BENEFIT Do we need to change the system?

Slide 30: Can we do it?

Slide 31: Can it be done?

Slide 32: SOCIOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONALISM

Slide 33: Sociological Perspective CULTURE – the driving force of human behavior.

Slide 34: Looking at how institutions emerge from social interactions. duties obligations norms

Slide 35: CULTURE = INSTITUTIONS

Slide 36: What are Agents and Institutions? INSTITUTIONS They are: internal subconscious pre-rational

Slide 37: They don’t constrain options THEY MAKE THEM.

Slide 38: Agents and Structure can’t be separated.

Slide 39: Remember Marx? The world is where you are.

Slide 40: How are changes explained? Is change appropriate? Is it legitimate?

Slide 41: Inconsistency with change = BREAKDOWN

Slide 42: HISTORICAL INSTITUTIONALISM

Slide 43: Theoretical Perspective PATH DEPENDENCE

Slide 44: Institutions reflect past models.

Slide 45: Role of Agents and Institutions: INSTITUTIONS shape the strategies and goals actors pursue.

Slide 46: They shape inputs and outputs.

Slide 47: When do changes occur? Times of crisis or critical junctures.

Slide 48: Institutions create new institutions.

Slide 49: Notice something peculiar?

Slide 50: Historical analysis and sociological analysis are in many ways related.

Slide 51: Institutions are very important. They dictate human choices and options.

Slide 52: Institutions are ARENAS THEY DEFINE THE RULES.

Slide 53: Common experience lowers the costs towards agreement.

Slide 54: When the context changes, preferences also change.

Slide 55: Meanwhile, Rational choice analysis differs much from the two.

Slide 56: Institutions are still arenas. but, actors are a little more independent from context.

Slide 57: Three views, different looks. Which one is right?

Slide 58: OR, what’s wrong with each?

Slide 59: criticisms

Slide 60: Rational Choice Same event, different interpretations NO EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE.

Slide 61: Sociological / Historical Rich details Causal variables Generalizations

Slide 62: Whew! That’s already a lot of information

Slide 63: Why are we doing this again?

Slide 64: We do comparative analysis (or any study of social science) BECAUSE…

Slide 65: We need to: Gain knowledge through empirical research Search for patterns

Slide 66: To deal with uncertainty and make descriptive, explanatory, causal inferences.

Slide 67: To establish workable models.

Slide 68: That’s about it. THANK YOU!