Institutional Layering: A Review of the Use of the Concept
| Published date | 01 February 2011 |
| Author | Jeroen van der Heijden |
| Date | 01 February 2011 |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1467-9256.2010.01397.x |
| Subject Matter | Research and Analysis |
Research and Analysis
Institutional Layering: A Review of the
Use of the Conceptponl_13979..18
Jeroen van der Heijden
Delft University of Technology and Oxford University
Over the years layering has gained increasing attention in studies of institutional change. Notably,
the concept has been subject to the exact mechanism it tries to explain: incremental change. This
article reviews the use of the concept over a 60-year time span in order to elucidate its value
for studying institutional change. The article especially looks at the use of the concept by one of
the leading authors in the field: Kathleen Thelen. It concludes that layering provides a bridge
between – seemingly conflicting – ideas on incremental change and punctuated equilibrium.
Introduction
For a long time institutional analysis has been guided by the idea of long periods of
stability that are incidentally punctured. Yet, such shocks do not always result in
institutional change, and institutional change does not always come from exog-
enous shocks (Pierson, 2004, p. 99). The idea that institutions change over time,
while they appear to show stability, has inspired a number of scholars to identify
and describe mechanisms of incremental institutional change. A leading scholar in
this field is Kathleen Thelen, who has introduced, defined and developed a number
of such mechanisms (e.g. Thelen, 1999, 2003 and 2004; also Mahoney and Thelen,
2010; Streeck and Thelen, 2005).
One of these mechanisms is ‘layering’. Thelen uses the concept to explain gradual
institutional transformation through a process in which new elements are attached
to existing institutions and so gradually change their status and structure. It is
essential that the new does not replace the old, but is added to it. Thelen is not the
first to describe this mechanism, but since her usage of it, many scholars have
followed her example – often referring to Thelen as their source of inspiration.
These scholars often use the concept slightly differently from Thelen, however, and
over time the concept has been subject to exactly that which it tries to explain:
incremental change through layering. A downside of this ‘layering of layering’ is
that the comparative advantage of using the concept is lost.
Through a historical analysis of potential – although not established – antecedents
of Thelen’s work, this article aims to provide a categorisation of different usages of
the concept in past and contemporary literature. The article aims to understand the
value of layering in studying institutional change as being one of the many concepts
POLITICS: 2011 VOL 31(1), 9–18
© 2011 The Author.Politics © 2011 Political Studies Association
To continue reading
Request your trial