Driving with the Rear-view Mirror: On the Rational Science of Institutional Design
Zheer Ahmad
Abstract
On its own, the Rational Design initiative is outstanding. Other methods pertinent to the formation of international organizations are not discussed, however. I take a look at two nearby "contrast spaces" to make comparisons easier. What explains institutional design? is the key topic of the first chapter, which also discusses competing and complementary theories that are farther along in the causal chain. This inquiry exposes epistemological distinctions between institutional design and positive social science, which might be linked to various temporal perspectives. Making institutions is about the future and has a normative component by nature. Institutional explanations often focus on the past and do not include this normative aspect. Information about institutional efficacy and information about what values to seek are two additional types of knowledge that are necessary in addition to the knowledge provided in this book if we are to avoid "driving with the rear-view mirror." As a result, the issue of institutional design is useful for creating a more comprehensive and useful vision of social science that incorporates normative and constructive issues.
