Institutionalism

Question 1

Old institutionalism core activity

Answer 1

Describing constitutions, legal systems, and government structures.

Question 2

Old institutionalism Origin

Answer 2

Law,
formal political arrangements.

Question 3

Old institutionalism Definition of Institutions:

Answer 3

Formal political arrangements.

Question 4

Old institutionalism Arena View of Politics:

Answer 4

Emphasizes formal political power.

Question 5

Old Institutionalism Foundations:
Concerns:

Answer 5

Not concerned with defining ontology, epistemology, methodology.

Question 6

Old Institutionalism Foundations:
Proto-Theoretical Outlook:

Answer 6

Normative, historicist, holistic, structuralist, legalist, functionalist.

Question 7

Old Institutionalism Criticisms:

Answer 7

Emphasis:
Too much on formal rules, procedures, and organizations.
Focus:
Government-centric, static, descriptive, lacks methodological rigor.

Question 8

Mainstream Political Science Timeline:

Answer 8

Old Institutionalism:
Descriptive, formal/legalistic.
Responses:
Behavioralism (1950s, 1960s-), Rational Choice (1970s, 1980s-).
Response to Responses:
Neo-institutionalism(s) (1980s-).

Question 9

New Institutionalism (what does it question and what does it examine)

Answer 9

Questions:
How institutions shape political behavior and are shaped by human action.
Examines:
Interactions between institutions and individuals, as well as inter- and intra-institutional interactions.

Question 10

New Institutionalism Strands:

Answer 10

Pluralistic:
Examines power relations within institutions.
Sociological:
Focuses on social structures and norms.
Historical:
Investigates the evolution and persistence of institutions.

Question 11

New Institutionalism Concepts:

Answer 11

What is an Institution?
Rules of the game, formal and informal.
Rules vs. Organizations:
Institutions provide rules, while organizations are players.
Dynamic Stability:
Generally stable but not universally followed.

Question 12

Hall & Taylor: Three New Institutionalisms:

Answer 12

Rational Choice Institutionalism (RCI):
Incentive-based, sees institutions as important actors.
Normative Institutionalism (NI):
Norm-based, interprets behavior through constructed norms.
Historical Institutionalism:
Examines why institutions persist or change.

Question 13

Main Cleavage: RCI vs. NI:

Answer 13

RCI:
Logic of consequence, incentive-based, emphasizes formal rules.
NI:
Logic of appropriateness, norm-based, emphasizes informal rules.

Question 14

Logic of Consequence (RCI)

Answer 14

Assumes rationality and self-interest.

Focuses on preferences, benefits, and consequences for understanding behavior.

Question 15

Logic of Appropriateness (NI):

Answer 15

Theoretical Assumptions:
Individuals not pre-set.
Considerations:
Roles within institutions and appropriate behavioral options.

Question 16

Summary: New Institutionalism:

Answer 16

Ontology:
Mixed (some foundationalist, some antifoundationalist).
Epistemology:
Mixed (some positivist/critical realist/interpretivist).
Methodology:
Mixed (some quantitative, some qualitative).
RCI:
Foundationalist, positivist, quantitative.
NI:
More fluid, including antifoundational/interpretative.