on ‘political institutions’
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Basic ideas on political institutionsTRANSCRIPT
On „Political Institutions‟
Prof. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza, PhDDepartment of Political Science
Ateneo De Manila University
'Community-based' ‘Adversarial’
Collective binding-decisions to regulate common interest
Implementing decisions
Interpretation of rules
punishment
Creation of legitimacy
Implementing ruler‟s will
disputes
Actions against those who challenge rules
Two stories…
Basic Types of Institutions
Rule-making
Rule-applying/enforcing
Rule adjudicating
Discourses
Normative
- justice, equality, rights
- „discursive political institutions‟ as representation of various currents of perspectives
- discussion, deliberation, and negotiation
- discover common principles that should prevail in society
- “just political institutions generate just societies” (John Rawls)
Discourses
‘Quantified’
- „tragedy of Political Science‟ (David Ricci)
- mass data and policy analysis
- technical concepts that are measurable: „attitude,‟ „cognition,‟ „socialization,‟ „system‟
o Structural-functional: functions (institutions emerge to solve societies‟ recurring problems)
o Historical-institutionalism: impact of „historical moment‟ (distribution of power and influence by various groups)
o Economic: rational choice (utility-maximizing individuals)
So, what are „political institutions‟?
Formal: “arrangements for aggregating individuals and regulating their behavior through the use of explicit rules and decision processes enforced by an actor or set of actors formally recognized as possessing such power” (Levi 1990)
Informal: unwritten rules such as „customs,‟ „culture,‟ „habits,‟ „social norms‟ (March and Olsen 1989; Scharpf 1989; Hall 1986)
What do „political institutions‟ do: two end points of the continuum…
Economic approach
- individual preferences
- „logic of exchange‟ (change of strategy but not preference)
- collective choice
Cultural/Sociological
- preference based on situation
- „logic of appropriateness‟ (locating the self and appropriate action in a particular situation)
„Political institutions‟ and Change
Product of unintended consequence
Evolution „survival‟ of the most necessary
Institutional design by strategic agents
Ultimate question: structure vs. agency
Governments as Political Institutions: Basic Types
I. Based on the ‘number of people ruling’
# of Person/s
‘Ruling’
Ruling for
INTEREST
of OTHERS
Ruling for SELF-
INTEREST
One Monarchy Tyranny
Few Aristocracy Oligarchy
Many Polity Democracy
II. Based on the relationship between the Executive and Legislative branches
•Presidential- close relations
•Parliamentary- politics of competition
III. Based scope of power of the national government
Unitary government
- from the Greek word „unitas‟
- (usually) there is centralization of power
Federal government
- from the Greek word „feoderis‟
- decentralization of power
IV. Based on ‘ideological’ labels/categories
Democratic government – perfect democracy, democracy, limited democracy
Non-democratic government –authoritarian, totalitarian, perfect totalitarian
Spectrum of Government Power
Perfect democracy Perfect Totalitarianism
„Democratic‟ Experience: Some Variations
CATEGORY ATTRIBUTE
Party System 2-party vs. multi-party
Legislative Assembly Unicameral vs. bicameral
Government Structure Unitarian vs. Federalist
Central Authority Parliamentary vs. Presidential
Local Government Weak vs. strong
Focus: Philippine Context
Branches and constitutional contexts
Recurring themes: unitary vs. federal, presidential vs. parliamentary, centralized vs. decentralized