institutsionalism
Institucionalism is an approach in the social sciences that emphasizes the role of institutions in shaping political, economic, and social behavior and outcomes. Institutions include formal rules and laws, organizations, and informal norms and conventions. They are viewed as durable structures that constrain and enable actors, influence incentives, and shape expectations and legitimacy.
The scholarly tradition began with old institutionalism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, associated
From the 1980s onward, new institutionalism emerged, developing several strands. Rational choice institutionalism analyzes how individuals
Key concepts include formal versus informal rules, path dependence, institutional change, and de jure versus de
Applications span comparative politics, organizational theory, public policy, and governance. Critics argue that some institutional analyses