2. Regime (Explicitly codified rules and sactions
institutionalised in some central authority system,
without being embodied in formal org.)
Culture (Rules, procedures and goals w/o
primary representation in formal org., no
monitoring)
Degree of
Institutionalisation
1. Deeply embodied in
a framework of
institutions
2. Has been in place for
a long time
3. High level of
taken-for-grantedness
5. Linked to some
trascendental moral
authority or presumed laws
of nature
4. General acceptance of
its appropriatness
6. Central to its system
Characteristics of
Institutions
1. Resistant to change - order-generating
epitome of continuity (some, say inefficiency)
2. not static, made up of rules,
regulations, routines, political
actors
3. However, cautions against the tendency to see institutions as self-enforcing
rules and procedures with little to no possibility of change
Unit of analysis in institutionalism
1. Rules 2. Routine 3. Norms
4. Identities of an
institutions
This measures, the effectiveness,
impact on outcomes, why and how
institutions emerge, evolve, change,
become obsolete, rejuvenated,
replaced & when do institutions not
change
Four types of institutional change
1, Institutional formation =
consolidation of rules and
disavowment of social entropy
2. Institutional development -
institutional continuation with
change within the institution
3. Deinstitutionalisation -
breakdown in institution
4. Reinstitutionalisation -
Exiting from existing
institutional form and
establishment of another
institutional reform
(March & Olsen, 1989)
Change catalyst (M&O, 1989)
1. Rule-governed and
institutionalised in specific
sub-units
2. Generated by routine
interpretation and
implementation of rules
3. Reallocation of
resources
i) M&O silent about role
external actors, factors,
and environment played
ii) transformative change can
be the result of incremental,
step-wise shifts that are
barely visible at the outset
In-built coping mechanism
1. Institutional specialisation
2. Autonomy
3. Sequential attention
4. Local rationality
5. Conflict avoidance
What are political
institutions for?
1. Provides sense of
continuity and rhythm to
political life
2. Simplifies political life by
allowing people to take
things for granted
3. Enshrine's society's decisions
and serves as a repository of
society's consensus on
acceptable rules and norms
that govern political behaviour
4. Viewed as legitimate if the people,
value accept, and consent to the rules
set down and enforced by the political
institutions
Critiques
1. Tendency to be reductionist in
analysis
2. Privileges the sinstitution as a self-interested,
political actor at the expense of diversity of
individual self-interests
3. Failure to disentangle
institutionalisation from actor interests
4. Downplays and
fails to consider the
impact of external
environments on
institutions
Types of Political Institutions
Refers to the entire machinery of government
1. Executive - Primary branch that implement laws
2. Legislative - Elected representatives that make laws and
represent the citizens in the law making process
3. Military - Protects and defends
the integrity of the state, enforces
law, and ensures order
4. Bureaucracy - Network of
state organs that advises political
decision-makers
5. Judiciary - Adjudicates (makes
formal judgement on) the law of
the land