Institutions and Institutionalism

From electoral laws, to social norms, to property rights, institutions are fundamental features of political, social, and economic life. The renewed interest in institutions over the last two decades, however, has produced a welter of different perspectives on what institutions are and how they enable, constrain, or channel social behavior. In this course, we will examine these different perspectives on institutions and their consequences for explanation. The course will focus on how these different institutionalisms define institutions, handle the relationship between structure and agency and formal and informal institutions, and explain the emergence, stability, and transformation of institutions. The course will also examine the relationship between institutions and organizations, with special attention given to processes of institutionalization and deinstitutionalization. The course is intended to provide a theoretical overview of institutionalism, but it will also stress the empirical application of institutional theory.