instituce

An institution is an enduring system of rules, norms, and structures that organize social behavior. It can refer to formal organizations such as governments, courts, schools, banks, and corporations, but also to the underlying social arrangements that guide daily life, including laws, conventions, and standards of conduct. Institutions create expectations, reduce uncertainty, and coordinate actions among individuals and groups.

Institutions are generally categorized as formal or informal. Formal institutions are codified and enforced, for example constitutions, statutes, regulatory bodies, and established organizations. Informal institutions consist of unwritten norms, traditions, and practices that influence behavior, such as social etiquette, cultural norms, or religious customs. The term is used across political, economic, educational, and legal contexts.

Functions include establishing legitimacy, distributing resources, resolving conflicts, and providing public goods. They shape incentives, constrain behavior, and enable complex coordination over long time horizons. Institutional arrangements—such as property rights, contract law, and electoral rules—can profoundly affect economic development and social outcomes.

The study of institutions covers fields like institutional economics, political science, and sociology. Theories highlight path dependence, institutional change through reform, and the role of power and legitimacy in sustaining or transforming arrangements. Institutions evolve, sometimes slowly, but can be redesigned to meet new needs and contexts.