996029 Discursive Institutionalism: How and Why Ideas and Discourse Matter in Political and Social Scientific Analysis (S) (WiSe 2018/2019)

This seminar examines discursive institutionalism (DI), an approach to political and social scientific explanation that focuses on the substantive content of ideas and the interactive processes of discourse in institutional context. It begins with an examination of how discursive institutionalism explains changes in politics and society. It then considers the discursive institutionalist perspective on whether and how the three older new institutionalisms explain change, including rational choice institutionalism (RI), sociological institutionalism (SI), and historical institutionalism (HI). It follows with a discussion of the practical application of DI in one empirical setting, the Eurozone crisis. It ends with a consideration of how to theorize about ideational/discursive power, again applied to the Eurozone crisis. The course thus serves to familiarize students with the discursive institutionalist explanations of politics and society in all its variety.

Course Sessions:

Nov. 27: 9.30-12.30
1. Discursive Institutionalism: A General Overview

Schmidt, Vivien A. (2008) “Discursive Institutionalism: The Explanatory Power of Ideas and Discourse,” Annual Review of Political Science vol. 11: 303-26

Nov. 27: 13.30-16.30
2. Other Neo-Institutionalist Approaches in Discursive Institutionalist Perspective

Schmidt, Vivien A. (2010) Taking Ideas and Discourse Seriously: Explaining Change through Discursive Institutionalism as the Fourth New Institutionalism.” European Political Science Review vol. 2, no. 1: 1-25

Nov. 28: 9.30-12.30
3. Empirical Applications—Eurozone Crisis and Rise of Populism

Schmidt, Vivien A. (2014) “Speaking to the Markets or to the People? A Discursive Institutionalist Analysis of EU Leaders’ Discourse during the Eurozone Crisis,” British Journal of Politics and International Relations vol. 16, no. 1: 188-209

Nov. 28: 13.30-16.30
4. The Power of Ideas and Discourse—Theory and Empirics

Carstensen, Martin and Schmidt, Vivien A. (2017) “Power and Changing Modes of Governance in the Euro Crisis” (with Martin Carstensen). Governance (2017) early view: https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12318