Chapter 5: Theoretical Approaches
Certain approaches developed throughout certain periods of time
Approaches: sets of attitudes, understandings, and practices that define a certain
way of doing political science
o Schools of thought that influence how we think
Five approaches examined:
o Institutional done most to shape the development of politics as a
discipline and remains important tradition
o Behavioral examines politics at the level of the individual. Relies on
analysis of sample surveys, contributes to findings to comparative politics.
o Structural method of comparative history, interrogates past to understand
contemporary outcomes.
o Rational choice seeks to explain political outcomes by reference to the
goals and interests of individuals involved
o Interpretive viewing politics as the ideas people construct about it in the
course of their interaction, fresh contrast to mainstream approaches.
The institutional approach
Institutions formal organization, often with public status, members interact on the
basis of specific roles they perform
Provides original foundation and creates baseline
Institutions very important in liberal democracies
Specific examples of institutions (major institutions of the national government):
o Legislature
o Judiciary
o Executive
These organizations often possess legal identities and are treated as literal actors
Concept of institutions also includes ones with less secure constitutional basis’s
such as:
o Bureaucracy
o Local government
o Political parties
The analysis assumes positions within the organization are more important than
the people who occupy them
Discuss roles rather than people
o Ex. Presidencies rather than Presidents
2 reasons that organizations shape behavior (institutional approach):
o Institutions provide benefit and opportunities, shape interests of staff
Employees acquire such interests such as defending their
institution against outsiders and trying to achieve personal progress
within the structure
o Sustained employee interaction creates institutional culture, making a
team
Norms of these places shapes the behavior (how we think, act and
feel) of people Operation of institutions is primarily what is excepted, doesn’t have deeper
political motive
There to do job mostly, doesn’t go beyond what needs to be done
Political action of institutional approach is understood by logic of appropriateness
o Logic of Appropriateness actions which members of an institution take to
conform to its own norms
Ex. Head of state will perform ceremonial duties because its an
official obligation
Logic of Consequences denotes instrumental behavior directed at achieving a
specific goal, whether self interested or altruistic
When members of an institution are faced with a problem, they more ask, “what
did we do last time this happened” rather than “what do we do in this situation?”
Seek solutions based on organization and its history
Emphasis of ritual and symbolic aspects within the institutional framework is
contrasted with politicians as “rational, instrumental actors”
Institutions provide rules as to which politicians must abide by
Institutionalization process by which organizations acquire value and stability
over time.
o Thicken over time
o Becomes node in network and entrenches its position over time
o Become recognized by external actors
Major focus on history, culture and memory that embody traditions and values
Study of institutions is rather a study of political stability rather than political
change
Seen as pillars of order in politics
Why are institutions so important for the functioning of liberal democracies?
o Provide framework
o Enable long term commitment
Makes governments more credible when it comes to bank loans
and making promises (get lower rates)
o Also offer predictability
Institutional approach becomes inward looking (means being more interested in
themselves than others or societies)
o Some institutions are specifically created to solve problems
o Institutions created by political action of individuals and their beliefs
o Rarely act independently of social forces in poor non democratic countries
o Sometimes the structures of governments is driven by personal social
networks and their policies
o In communist parties, formal institutions of government were controlled
by ruling party (government was servant instead of the master)
Overall: institutions are central to liberal democratic politics
o Shape the environment
o Structure interest and values
The Behavioral Approach During 1960s, unit of analysis moved away from institutional approach and
towards individual behavior
o Particularly in America
Focus changed from:
o Electoral systems to voters
o Legislature to legislators
o Presidencies to presidents
Behaviouralism school of thought in political science that emphasized the study
of individuals rather than institutions
o Not specific people but rather the individual level or unit of analysis
Ex. Members of parliament rather than parliament itself
Observes political reality
Why did we shift to behaviouralism?
o Decolonization
Institutions didn’t seem of much help
Presidents and ruling generals made their own constitutions written
at independence
These were written in social/economic/political realities rather than
fictions
Political scientists at this time preferred to apply social science techniques
developed during WWII
Moved away from formal aspects to legislative behavior
Researchers investigated the backgrounds and behaviors of representatives
For judiciary scholar, they began to study judges rather than courts, studying the
backgrounds and attitudes rather than the nature of the court as an institution
o Studied how social backgrounds and political attitudes shaped the
decisions these people made
The behavioral analysis was useful because it drew useful generalizations about
voting and public opinion
Unlike institutional studies, behavioral analysis located the social settings of
politics
Behavioral revolution broadened outlook
But this analysis ran its course, because it focused too much on the individual
political behavior rather than the study of institutions within the government
Produced too much science and too little politics
It seemed unable to address current political events
The Structural Approach
Structural Approach emphasizes the objective relationships between social
groups, including social classes and state. Varying interests and positions of these
leading groups shape configuration of power and provide dynamic of political
change.
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