THE UNIVERSITY OF LEIPZIG

will play important roles. This evaluation would necessitate directing our attention to
discussions concerning another branch of institutionalism, historical instituionalism.
Historical Institutionalism
The historical institutionalists are interested in understanding and explaining events and
outcomes. Scholars working in this tradition argue that one can explain particular historical
outcomes by examining the way in which political institutions had shaped or structured the
political process. 219 One key concept is through upholding the path dependency concept. The
path dependency concept postulates that the historical track of a given institution will result in
almost inevitable occurrences. In some institutions this may be a self-perpetuating cycle:
actions of one type beget further actions of this type of institutions. 220
It is also imperative to make mention of the fact that the phrase path dependence is used in
both fields, the economics as well as in the historical traditions of institutionalsim to mean
one or two things depending on the specific circumstances. Some authors use pathdependence
to mean simply "history matters" - a broad conception - whilst others use it to
mean that institutions are self reinforcing. 221 It is this self-reinforcing conception, which has
the most explanatory force and which the subsequent discussions in this sub-section will
benefit from. The claim that "history matters" is central to understanding institutions from
both a formal and informal perspective. 222 This dynamic vision of historical institutional
evolution is very different from the neo-classical economics tradition, which in its simplest
form assumed that only a single outcome could possibly be reached, regardless of initial
conditions or transitory events. With path dependence, both the starting point and 'accidental'
events can have significant effects on the ultimate outcome. Deeply embedded in the
historical institutionalist literature, path dependence roots in the assumption that institutional
making systems tend to be conservative, and find ways of defending existing patterns of
institutions, as well as the organizations that make and deliver those institutions. 223 In
Pierson’s terms there are self-reinforcing processes in institutions that make institutional
configurations, and hence their policies difficult to change, once a pattern has been
established. 224
During the past several decades, historical institutionalism has emerged as a leading approach
to institutional analysis and indeed a prominent approach within political science more
219
Steinmo, S and K. Thelen. 1992. Structuring Politics: Historical Institutionalism in Comparative Analysis.
New York:Cambridge University Press.
220
Pierson, P. 2000. Increasing Returns, Path Dependence, and the Study of Politics. American Political Science
Review 2:251-267.
221
Pierson, P. 2004. Politics in Time. American Political Science Review 87: 845-855
222
Weingast, B. 1996. Political Institutions: Rational Choice Perspectives. In A New Handbook of Political
Science edited by H.D,Goodin, 167-190. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
223
Bovens, M. A, P P. Hart, and B. G. Peters. 2001. Success and Failure in Public Governance.Cheltenham:
Edward Elgar.
224
Pierson, P. 2000. Increasing Returns, Path Dependence, and the Study of Politics.” American PoliticalScience
Review 94(1): 251–66.
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