Suchergebnisse

It is increasingly common for social scientists to describe political processes as "path dependent". The concept, however, is often employed without careful elaboration. This article conceptualizes path dependence as a social process grounded in a dynamic of "increasing returns". Reviewing recent literature in economics and suggesting extensions to the world of politics, the article demonstrates that increasing returns processes are likely to be prevalent, and that good analytical foundations exist for exploring their causes and consequences. The investigation of increasing returns can provide a more rigorous framework for developing some of the key claims of recent scholarship in historical institutionalism: Specific patterns of timing and sequence matter; a wide range of social outcomes may be possible; large consequences may result from relatively small or contingent events; particular courses of action, once introduced, can be almost impossible to reverse; and consequently, political development is punctuated by critical moments or junctures that shape the basic contours of social life. (American Political Science Review / FUB)

Political scientists have paid much more attention to the effects of institutions than to issues of institutional origins & change. One result has been a marked tendency to fall back on implicit or explicit functional accounts, in which the effects of institutions explain the presence of those institutions. Institutional effects may indeed provide part of such an explanation. Yet the plausibility of functional accounts depends upon either a set of favorable conditions at the design stage or the presence of environments conducive to learning or competition. Exploring variability in the relevant social contexts makes it possible to both establish the restricted range of functional accounts & specify some promising lines of inquiry into the subject of institutional origins & change. 1 Figure, 63 References. Adapted from the source document.

Focuses on the importance of sequencing, asserting that the sequence of events, not just the importance of each event, affects the political outcome. The different ways that timing & sequencing have affected political events are demonstrated, proposing that, to gain understanding, it is best to study where, when, & how causally significant sequences occurred. Sorting these arguments gives leverage for identifying patterns & strengthens the argument for systematic exploration of processes over time in the study of political science. Distinct forms of sequencing arguments include arguments highlighting path-dependent, self-reinforcing sequences; arguments for "event sequences" of causally linked events; & arguments based on the simultaneous occurrence of otherwise unrelated sequences or on the interruption of a sequence by unforeseen events. Theoretical arguments about timing & sequencing are explored, drawing from rational choice theory. General causal mechanisms that explain political outcomes are investigated, & it is concluded that identification & clarification of self-reinforcing or path-dependent processes are needed. L. A. Hoffman

This article reviews three important clusters of recent research on the comparative politics of the welfare state. The three clusters focus on political economy, gender & social policy, & the investigation of long-term developmental processes. The article argues that in each area there has been significant progress, & there are increasing opportunities for intellectual exchange across these clusters. Research in this important empirical subfield of comparative politics has been pluralistic & eclectic, both methodologically & theoretically. Overall, this stance has yielded substantial benefits. 82 References. Adapted from the source document.

Pierson responds to the comments to his article, "Not Just What, but When: Timing and Sequence in Political Processes" (2000) & points out that they reveal difficult challenges & opportunities to those exploring this issue. Pierson replies to Bridges's comments by pointing out that the assertion that only markets can generate positive feedback is unclear, & that Bridges ignores his study of sources of path dependence in institutional emergence, public policy formation, motivations for collective action, & ideological orientation development. Pierson also states that use of path dependence offers an entry point for examination of how processes unfold over time & a critique of trying to understand social processes through synchronic analyses only. Jervis & Thelen confirm that path dependence are widespread in social life & facilitate progress in confronting more complex arguments about temporal processes. L. A. Hoffman

IntroduzioneDa tempo riconosciuto come un elemento caratterizzante delle democrazie industriali avanzate, il welfare state reclama oggi più attenzione che mai. Malgrado l'incremento delle disuguaglianze in molti paesi, le domande di tagli alla spesa sociale si sono intensificate. I tentativi in tale senso hanno provocato un acceso dibattito e diffuse proteste e ciò pone il welfare al centro del dibattito politico e del conflitto sociale.

Observers of the European Community have criticized "intergovernmentalist" accounts for exaggerating the extent of member-state control over European integration. This article grounds these criticisms in a historical institutionalist analysis, stressing the need to study European integration as a process that unfolds over time. Losses of control result not only from the autonomous actions of supranational organizations, but from member-state preoccupation with short-term concerns, the ubiquity of unintended consequences, and the instability of member-state policy preferences. Once gaps in control emerge, change-resistant decision rules and sunk costs associated with societal adaptations make it difficult for member states to reassert their authority. Brief examination of the evolution of EC social policy suggests the limitations of treating the EC as an instrument facilitating collective action among sovereign states. Rather, integration should be viewed as a path-dependent process producing a fragmented but discernible multitiered European polity.