Statsvetenskap, organisationsteori och nyinstitutionalism

Författare

• Johan P. Olsen

Abstract

Political scientists have in the post-war period tended not to regard organization theory as particularly relevant, interesting, or important. There have been some significant instances of crossfertilization, but most reviewers conclude that organization theory and political science have been in a state of mutual disregard for years. The state of mutual disregard is surprising because there are important parallels between the questions raised in political science and in organization theory. Students of politics have always been interested in how the political organization of a society contributes to the well being of citizens. Political institutions have (most of the time) been seen as preconditions for a civilized society. Key questions have been how political institutions affect who-get-what and the achievement of values such as justice and equality; how political institutions affect definitions of the good life and contribute to the education and socialization of citizens; and how political institutions develop and change, in particular what is the role of intention, reflection, choice and design in the transformation of political institutions. This article sketches an institutional perspective as a contibution to a possible narrowing of the gap between political science and organization theory.