Historical Institutionalism
The historical institutionalism school believes that institutional factors account for differences in cross-national political outcomes. There are two elements:
- Institutions could shape actor preferences by structuring incentives, redistributing power, and by influencing the cultural context.
- History is "path dependent." Choices or events early in the process can force a path from which it becomes increasingly difficult to deviate.
Theda Skocpol's work illustrates an example of historical institutionalism. Responses to the Great Depression of the 1930s differed greatly between Sweden and the United Kingdom, which had similar problems in terms of severity and duration. The two countries responded with vastly different policies due to differences in existing domestic institutional structures.
Read more about this topic: Institutionalism In International Relations
Famous quotes containing the word historical:
“It is hard to believe that England is so near as from your letters it appears; and that this identical piece of paper has lately come all the way from there hither, begrimed with the English dust which made you hesitate to use it; from England, which is only historical fairyland to me, to America, which I have put my spade into, and about which there is no doubt.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)