Why Institutions Matter

In this powerful new text, Vivien Lowndes and Mark Roberts put forward a conception of institutionalism that is more comprehensive, integrative and analytically insistent than anything to date. Both those committed to an institutionalist approach, and those who are not, will benefit greatly from this study, which is likely to become an essential point of reference in the literature.' - Andrew MacIntyre, Australian National University 'Well-crafted, readable, and eminently teachable, there is no other text that gives students a handle on this increasingly core subject in political science like this. With a wealth of concrete examples it covers the key elements of, and theoretical perspectives on, the study of institutions in a way that will be ideally suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduates alike.' - Robert Pekkanen, University of Washington, USA

This important new text provides a broad-ranging introduction to the 'new' institutional theories which have become increasingly influential in recent years and gives an assessment of their application and utility in political analysis.This important new text provides a broad-ranging introduction to the 'new' institutional theories which have become increasingly influential in recent years and gives an assessment of their application and utility in political analysis.