Institution and Political Institution: An Introduction

Man is a social animal. Being social creature, he has some wants and assigned aims to comply
them. Institution is a way of thought or action of some prevalence and permanence, which is
embedded in the habits of a group or the customs of the people. Hence, it can be claimed that
institution is that which people adapt to means for fulfillment of needs and objectives with
procedures and behavior. In simple words, institution is another word for procedure, convention
and arrangements.

 An organization founded for a religious, educational, professional, or social purpose.

Example: Church, Family, Religion
 An established law or practice, Ex. Marriage, Slavery.
 Institutions as systems of established and prevalent social rules that structure social
interactions. Example: Language, Money, Law.

To put in the words of E.S. Bogardus, “A social institution is a structure of society that is
organized to meet the needs of people mainly, through well established procedures”.

According to C.H. Cooley, “An institution is a complex integrated organization of collective

behavior established in the social heritage and meeting some persistent need or want.”

Similarly, Fichter describes an institution, “As a relatively permanent structure of social patterns,
role and relations that people enact in certain sanctioned and unified ways for the purpose of
satisfying basic social needs”. In the words of Prof. Elwood, “An institution means the way of
rituals of living mutually which are established, accepted and arranged by the force of
community.”

Characteristics of Institution:

On the basis of above definitions, main characteristics are as under:

(а) Institutions are purposive in the sense that each has its objectives or goals to satisfy social
needs.

(b) They are relatively permanent in their structure.

(c) They tend to become traditional and enduring.

(d) Each institution is a unified structure and functions as a unit.

(e) The institution is necessarily value laden and tends to become a code of conduct.

(f) Each institution is affiliated and derives rights from some or other society.
Types of Institutions:

1. Based on the development

We recognize two types of social institutions seen from their development, namely crescive
institutions and enacted institutions.

A) Crescive Institution/ unintentional social institutions

These include matters of property, religion, and marriage and are unconsciously originated.

B) Enacted Institutions

These include business and credit Institutions that are related to profits and economy and hence
are consciously established.

2. Based on Community Value System Accepted

Based on the value system received by the community, we recognize the existence of basic
institutions and subsidiary institutions.

A) Basic Institutions

These are simply those that are regarded as important to maintain social order in the society. The
Family institutions, Political Institutions, Educational Institutions, Religious Institutions etc.

B) Subsidiary Institutions

These Institutions are a bit complex in the way that they aren’t necessarily so much in order to
maintain social order. Like recreational activities and clubs come under these Institutions.

3. Based on Community Reception

Type of social institution based on the point of acceptance of society can be distinguished on the
approved institutions or social sanctioned institutions and unsanctioned institutions.

A) Approved Institutions, social sanctioned institutions generally accepted by the public. This
institution has sanctions for every person who violates the rules of the institution. Some
institutions that can be categorized into this type are schools, religion, and commerce.

B) Unsanctioned Institutions, social institutions that are rejected and undesirable by society, even
though they are not able to eradicate completely. For example groups of extortionists, and others.

4. Based on Spread
Based on the spread of this type of social institution consists of general institutions and restricted
institutions.

A) General Institutions, a social institution known and recognized by almost all the people of
the world. For example, religion and human rights (HAM).

B) Restricted Institutions, social institutions known only to certain communities.

5. Based on its function

Judging from its function, the types of social institutions are distinguished over operative
institutions and regulative institutions.

A) Operative Institutions, social institutions that function to collect patterns or ways that are
required to achieve certain goals. For example agriculture institutions, trade institutions, fisheries
agencies, and others.

B) Regulative Institutions, social institutions that serve to oversee the behavior in society. For
example, police, prosecutors, and courts.

Functions of Institutions:

1. They simplify the actions and work of the individual.

2. They provide a means to control the society and people who constitute it.

3. Every individual is assigned a role depending on which he can achieve and regulate his
status.

4. They help to maintain the order in the society.

5. They act as stimulants by giving the required freedom.

6. Create harmony and unity amongst the members of the society.

Political Institution

Political institutions are organizations which create, enforce and apply laws. They often mediate
conflict, make (governmental) policy on the economy and social systems and otherwise provide
representation for the populous.

Marg orie Hogan: “Political Institution is a complex of social norms and rules that serves to
maintain social order to exercise power to compel conformity to the existing system of authority
and to provide the means for changes in the legal or administrative System.”
Examples of such political institutions include political parties, trade unions, and the (legal)
courts. The term ‘Political Institutions’ may also refer to the recognized structure of rules and
principles within which the above organizations operate, including such concepts as the right to
vote, responsible government and accountability.

According to Unesco in 1948 “Political institutions are related to the aspects of orientation and
pursuit of social stability of society in order to preserve its evolution”

Characteristics of Political Institutions

1. Effective participation

One of the functions of contemporary political institutions is to ensure that citizens to whom they
are entitled participate effectively in decisions in whatever form. This aspect gives legitimacy to
every institution.

2. Freedom of expression

Institutions ensure that citizens can express their opinion freely by any means. However, this
freedom is penalized in some countries when freedom of expression is used to instigate hatred,
war, racism or xenophobia.

3. Alternative Information

Freedom of information is the right of the media to freely broadcast news without restrictions or
threats. The fact of journalistic research seeks to have informed citizens, a public opinion
substantiated and to achieve a more transparent society.

4. Autonomy to associate

Free association with political, social, professional or any other purpose is one of the essential
conditions that political institutions must guarantee. As long as they conform to the laws and do
not seek to promote profound changes through violent actions.

5. Citizen inclusion

All actors in society are equal for the laws; no one can be excluded from their rights by thinking
differently. Political institutions ensure the establishment of a regime that guarantees equality
and justice for all the inhabitants. The characteristics of modern political institutions are closely
linked to the notions of democracy, given that the democratic order is that which provides a
society with greater levels of tolerance and regulation of political life

Functions or Objectives of Political Institutions

1. Condition and regulate political life

Starting from the precepts of equality, equity and justice, political institutions have the main
function of conditioning the political life of a country in order to achieve an increasingly stable,
plural and democratic order.

2. Meeting the proposed objectives

Trace the master plans in the development of coexistence, economics, and politics, social and
ensure their effective compliance in time.

3. Meeting social needs

In every society there are vulnerable sectors, it is the function of the public institutions to seek a
mechanism so that all the inhabitants of a country or region can satisfy the basic necessities and,
thus, have a decent life.

4. Exercise social control

Social control is understood as the system of norms that regulate the life of a nation and the
institutions that are empowered to restore order under any circumstances. The French
philosopher Michel Foucault In his summit work To watch and punish "Says that the person in
charge of exercising social control is the State, And compares the work of State with a"
Panopticon "Which guarantees the effective punishment of anyone who violates the norms of
coexistence.

5. Collects revenue

Govt. collects the revenue through taxation to run its administrative machinery efficiently. Rest
of the money is spent on public welfare

6. Control over the resources

Political institution directly or indirectly controls all the resources of the state.

7. Decision of conflicts

Courts, jails, and other means are provided by the state to decide the conflicting situations.so
this is the responsibility of political institution to make law and these laws are to decide the
conflicts.

8. Welfare Works

The state is to provide facilities of education, health, transportation and communication

9. Protection against dangers

In case of foreign/internal aggression the state is to provide safety to the individuals

 Formal and informal

Political institution may be formal as well as informal

A).Informal

1. Mostly found in primitive societies, rural area

2. No fixed and written rules, powers and authorities

3. Popularity and effectiveness of decisions

B) Formal

1. Power and authorities are fixed

2. Supreme power distribute some powers to administration at lower level

3. More human activities.

Difference between Organization and Institution

Organization means a systematically organized collection of people, with a common goal and
identity associated with an external environment, like a business entity or a government
department. It is often misconstrued with the institution, which encompasses an entity, with a
high degree of sustainability that can be seen as an indispensable part of the large society or
community.

The term institution is commonly used for the place of knowledge, i.e. an entity which delivers
information or imparts education to those who need it. On the other hand, an organization can be
any entity established to fulfill the commercial, social, political or some other purpose.

Comparison Chart
 BASIS FOR
ORGANIZATION INSTITUTION
COMPARISON

Meaning An organization is an assemblage of An institution is described a form

people who unite to undertake a of organization, which is set up for
common goal, led by a person or a an educational, religious, social or
group there on. professional cause.

Administration Centralized or Decentralized Decentralized

Governing factor Rules and Regulations Customs and Values

Existence It has a life cycle. It is long lasting.

Purpose To earn money, or provide service to To deliver knowledge to the

the members etc. people.

Definition of Organization

An organization is used to mean a group of people, engaged in chasing the predetermined goals
or set of goals. Indeed, it is a social system that ascertains all formal relations between the
activities and the members.

An organization is owned and controlled by one person or a group, who are the members, of the
organization itself. The head of the organization is chosen either on a permanent or temporary
basis, through voting at the annual general meeting, in which all the members of the organization
participate. It incorporates specialization and coordination of activities of the workers, wherein
the roles, responsibilities and authority are assigned to the members, to undertake tasks
efficiently. It includes both profit and non-profit undertaking. There are two types of
organization structure:

1. Formal Organization Structure

• Line Organization

• Functional Organization

• Line and Staff Organization

• Project Management Organization

• Matrix Organization.

2. Informal Organization Structure

Definition of Institution

The term institution can be defined as a receptive organization, which comes into being as a
result of social needs and pressures. It is a portion of a large society or community, which is
forward looking in nature.

It performs those functions and activities that add value to the public at large. It has a high
degree of endurance that leads to constant growth, ability to survive and adapt various pressures
and pulls in order to move towards the future along with the effect on the environment to which
the institution belongs. The internal structure of the institution exhibit and protects the frequently
held norms and values of the society. It plays the role of change inducing and change protecting
agent, that protects positive values and create new ones that are required for the sustenance of the
society.

Key Differences between Organization and Institution

The differences between organization and institution are explained here under:

1. An organization is a systematic collection of people, who work together for achieving the
desired end, under a common identity. Conversely, an institution is an establishment that is
dedicated to promoting a specific cause that can be educational, professional, and social, etc.

2. The structure of an organization can be centralized – where power lies in the hands of the
supreme authority, or decentralized – where the power is disseminated. On the other extreme, an
institution has a decentralized structure, wherein power is spread to various levels of
management.

3. An organization is governed by rules, regulations and policies, whereas customs and values
are the regulating factors of an institution.

4. An organization has a certain life cycle, i.e. they have birth, growth, maturity and decay. In
contrast, an institution is enduring in the sense that they have the capacity of constantly growing,
overcoming ability and adapting itself to extreme conditions, to take a step towards future.

5. The primary purpose of an organization is to earn money or provide services to the members.
As against, the main objective of an institution is to impart education or knowledge to the users.