The Center on Institutions and Governance (CIG) at the Institute of Governmental Studies promotes interdisciplinary research and education on the origins, effects, and evolution of institutions. CIG is under the direction of Prof. Bob Powell and Program Director Heddy Riss. The goal of the Center is to advance our understanding of the ways that institutions shape economic and political outcomes as well as the ways that political and economic factors shape institutions. The Center supports work in three broad areas:

Politics and Policy in Weakly Institutionalized Environments: In weakly institutionalized environments, actors cannot appeal to higher institutional authorities to enforce agreements. Consequently, the parties to an agreement must try to enforce it themselves. This may be very costly and may make it difficult for the parties to credibly commit themselves to following through on an agreement. Examples of weakly institutionalized environments include the international system as well as the domestic politics within developing countries in which the rule of law is weak. The Center actively supports research in international politics, political development, and institutionally weak settings more generally.

Politics and Policy in Highly Institutionalized Environments: In highly institutionalized settings, institutions constrain actors' behavior and do much to define the strategic area in which the actors interact. These environments include states in which the rule of law is strong. Work in this area tries to understand how different institutional arrangements (e.g., presidential or parliamentary, proportional representation or majoritarian, federal or unitary, central bank independence) affect policy outcomes. Comparative institutional analysis is an important research activity at the Center.

The Interface between Weakly and Highly Institutionalized Environments: The last half century has seen an astonishing effort among European states to institutionalize the weakly institutionalized environment in which they interact. The European Union is at the interface of weakly and highly institutionalized environments. Countries trying to establish the rule of law among competing domestic factions are also at this interface. The Center sponsors research that deepens our understanding of institutionalization, of how institutions take hold, begin to shape behavior, are shaped by that behavior, and may transform weakly institutionalized settings into more highly institutionalized environments.

Current Visiting Scholars:

Arlene Blum
Biophysical chemist, author, mountaineer
E-mail: arlene@arleneblum.com

Areas of interest: Her research contributed to the ban of brominated and chlorinated tris, chemicals that were used as flame retardants on children's sleepwear as well as the pesticide DBCP. She works closely with the The California Research Initiative for Science and Public Policy (CRISPP), which serves as an interface between UC scientists from a variety of disciplines and policy needs of California state and local governments, agencies as well as legislatures.

She is also an avid mountaineer who led the first American and all-women's ascent of Annapurna I, considered one of the world's most dangerous and difficult mountains. She also led the first women's team up Mt. McKinley and was the first American woman to attempt Mt. Everest.

Ian Clark
(January-June, 2008)
Head of the Research, Science and Innovation unit in the European Commission's Directorate General for Environment
E-mail: ian.clark@ec.europa.eu

Areas of interest: Environmental policy and technology, sustainable development and regulatory cooperation.