Presented by:
Binita Yadav
Institutions are the shared rules, norms, and strategies that govern the
interactions of individuals within a collective decision-making framework.
- Elinor Ostrom
Institutions simplify decision-making by providing a set of stable and
predictable rules that individuals can rely on.
- Herbert Simon
Institutions are stable, valued, recurring patterns of behavior that define how
societies are governed.
- Samuel Huntington
1
A society or organization founded for a religious,
educational, social or similar purposes
An established law, practice or custom
Institutions are devised by individuals
Recurring pattern of behavior
2
Institutionalism emphasizes the embedding of individual action in broader institutional
contexts, focusing on how rules, routines, norms, and symbols shape human behavior.
James G. March and Johan P. Olsen
Institutionalism studies how institutions are understood as sets of rules, norms, and
practices that shape social behavior and societal outcomes.
John Campbell
Institutionalism explores how institutions shape preferences, constrain options, and
structure policy outcomes, distinguishing between historical, rational choice, and
sociological approaches.
Peter Hall and Rosemary Taylor
3
• Formal structures like constitutions, laws,
regulations, and organizations that govern
behavior and decision-making
• Provide the framework within which policies
are formulated and implemented.
• Once an institution or policy direction is
established, it tends to persist due to the costs
of changing established systems and practices.
4
Institutions represent power structures, determining who gets to
participate in policy-making and whose interests are prioritized.
Institutions operate based on established
rules and norms that guide the behavior
of actors within the system.
5
Generally stable, but can change over
time due to external pressures, such as
social movements, crises, or shifts in
political ideologies
Institutions in different contexts may
become similar over time due to
imitation, oppression, or normative
pressures.
6
One’s
institution
can
be
understood and appreciated
only by those who know the
other system of government
Woodrow Wilson
28th President of USA
7
• Examines how institutions develop over time and how historical contexts
influence policy-making
• Emphasizes path dependency, where past decisions shape current policy
options
• Explains institutional persistence and how incremental changes lead to longterm effects
• Individuals know that actions have different consequences in different
contexts and it affects how they pursue their preferences
• Acts strategically within institutional frameworks to maximize their selfinterest
• Institutions are seen as the "rules of the game" that structure actors' choices
• Emphasizes formal rules, incentives, and constraints.
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• Highlights the role of cultural norms, social values, and shared
understandings in shaping institutions and policy-making
• Institutions are not just rules but also social constructs influenced by
cultural practices
• Explains why certain institutional practices persist even when they seem
inefficient
• Emphasizes the influence of norms, values, and roles on behavior within
institutions
• Individuals’ actions are shaped by what they perceive as appropriate
behavior within institutional roles
• Stresses the informal aspects of institutions
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• Examines how ideas, discourse, and communication shape institutional
dynamics and policy-making
• Policies are influenced by how problems are framed and discussed
• Emphasizes the role of ideas in institutional change and innovation
• Concentrates on the formal structures and hierarchies of institutions and
their impact on policy-making
• Stresses the importance of organizational design and authority distribution
• Explains how bureaucratic structures influence decision-making processes.
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• Explores how international institutions foster cooperation and influence
domestic policy-making
• Emphasizes the role of global norms and agreements
• Highlights how international organizations like the UN shape domestic
policies
• Combines elements of the above approaches to provide a more
comprehensive understanding of institutions
• Recognizes the interplay between formal rules, informal norms, historical
contexts, and individual behavior
• Identifies the rules, norms, practices, and relationships that influences
patterns of behavior in politics and policymaking
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One of the earliest approach in Comparative
politics
Focuses on the government institutions of the
country
Legislative
Executive
Less focus on political parties, bureaucracy and
local government
Judiciary
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Developed in 1980s against behavioral
revolution
Behaviouralism: Individuals are more
important than Institution
Institution
Individual
Brings Institution back into focus
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1. Understanding Governance and Policy framework
2. Explaining policy stability and change
3. Highlighting the roles of rules and stability
4. Addresses Path Dependency and Legacy Issues
5. Guiding Institutional design and reform
6. Interdisciplinary approach
7. Provides framework for comparative analysis
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Over emphasis on
stability and order
Fails to consider other
human behavior
Complexity and lack of
practical application
Western Centric bias
Limited attention to
power dynamics
Neglect of informal
institutions
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• A powerful framework for understanding how institutions shape public policy at the
local, national, and global levels.
• Recognizing the role of institutions allows policymakers and scholars to design
policies that consider the complex interactions between institutions, interests, and
ideas
• Old institutionalism emphasized formal government institutions like constitutions and
legal frameworks, with a focus on their design and effectiveness
• Faces criticism for neglecting factors such as power, change, agency, and the informal
dimensions of governance
• New institutionalism emerged, shifting focus from formal structures to a broader
view of institutions, incorporating informal relationships, power distribution, and
collective action, recognizing the interconnectedness of social, economic, and
political institutions in shaping outcomes
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1.Hoefer, R. (2022). Institutionalism as a theory for understanding policy creation: An
underused resource. Journal of Policy Practice and Research, 3(2), 71-76.
2.Mahmud, R. (2017). Understanding institutional theory in public policy. Dynamics of Public
Administration, 34(2), 135-148.
3.Radaelli, C. M., Dente, B., & Dossi, S. (2012). Recasting institutionalism: Institutional analysis
and public policy. European Political Science, 11, 537-550.
4.Đurić, I. (2011). The new institutionalism (s): a framework for the study of public policy in
post-conflict and post-communist countries. Politička misao, 48(05), 85-105.
5.Reich, S. (2000). The four faces of institutionalism: Public policy and a pluralistic
perspective. Governance, 13(4), 501-522.
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