Digital Library of the Commons

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Constitutional Level of Analysis: Problems and Prospects
(1979) Ostrom, Vincent
From p. 20: "The problems and prospects inherent in using the constitutional level of analysis to inform political inquiry are sufficiently great that they deserve careful consideration in laying the theoretical foundations for empirical investigations of political behavior and policy analyses. The theoretical analysis occurs at the constitutional level where inquiry is oriented to a consideration of alternative institutional arrangements. The conduct of empirical investigation occurs at the operational level within the constraints of given institutional structures. If empirical inquiry is to be informed by an appropriate theoretical analysis we need to proceed at both the constitutional and the operational levels of analysis. If we do so we may discover important links between political theory, political practice, and political science. We would then be in a position to test propositions about whether political structures do make a difference in the way that people are governed and live their lives in human societies. "Considering the nature of human artisanship we need to come to terms with conceptions of political structures as entailing more than words on paper. No one would expect a chemical formula to work by itself. Political institutions entail political artisans as well as political formulas. Then we learn how to treat artisans, and the conceptions they use, as informing conduct in relation to structures we may be in a position to determine the relationship of the structure of institutional arrangements to the consequences that flow for human societies. This requires more than the study of behavior per se. The constitutional level of analysis must accompany the operational level of analysis in the study of political phenomena not as natural phenomena, but as artifactual phenomena."
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches Vol. 1
(Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India, 1979) Ambedkar, Bhimrao; Ambedkar, Bhimrao
"In Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, we have not only a crusader against the caste system, a valiant fighter for the cause of the downtrodden in India but also an elder statesman and national leader whose contribution in the form of the Constitution of India will be cherished forever by posterity. In fact his fight for human rights and as an emancipator of all those enslaved in the world gave him international recognition as a liberator of humanity from injustice, social and economic. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru paid a glowing tribute to Dr. Ambedkar while moving a condolence resolution in the Parliament as follows: 'Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was a symbol of revolt against all oppressive features of the Hindu Society.' There is, therefore, a vital need to preserve the thoughts of this great son of India as expressed by him in his writings and speeches. While some efforts are being made in that direction by some institutions and research scholars, there is an urgent need to bring together all the material available and publish it in a series of volumes.
Urban Bads and the Structure of Institutional Arrangements
(1979) Sproule-Jones, Mark
"This paper will attempt to answer these broad questions. It does so by first outlining what may be called 'the theory of public bads.' Such a theory is necessary to explain the relationships between institutional arrangements and policy initiatives in the context of an urban and interdependent society. And this kind of explanatory knowledge is necessary for an evaluation of past institutional changes and future institutional possibilities. "Part II of the paper contains the theory and an illustrative case study of its empirical warrantability. Part III of the paper argues that the thrust of most changes in institutional arrangements over the last decade may have exacerbated rather than ameliorated the human condition in urban society. This argument is congruent with the theoretical section. It also presents a key institutional reform which could set the agenda for responsive and effective governance of urban society in the immediate future."
Political Economy Approach to the Analysis of Institutional Behavior and Consequences
(1979) Kiser, Larry L.; Ostrom, Elinor
From p. 1: "Undertaking a synthesis of work in political economy for a Handbook of Political Behavior is a massive task. The potential literature for such a review is far too extensive for the limitations of a single chapter. Moreover, the term political economy is used to characterize such a wide variety of academic work that no single chapter could provide a coherent synthesis of all the different perspectives. A chapter-length discussion must be more selective. "This chapter focuses entirely on the political economy literature which starts with the individual as a basic unit of analysis and which conceptualizes collectives of individuals as artifacts crafted to increase individuals access to available outcomes. Literature examining the effects of different institutional arrangements on the conduct and behavior of individuals and literature evaluation consequences is emphasized."

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