Institutional Engineering

Abstract

The success of populist movements in established democracies and the spread of illiberal democracies all over the world has made institutional engineering increasingly important in recent times. Can institutional reforms solve the democratic malaise? Which general lessons can we draw in this regard from institutional theories? This panel brings together a series of papers that examine the impact and the limitations of institutional engineering to achieve desired policy outcomes in our democracies. Although the papers are quite heterogeneous in terms of scope, approach and data, we aim to offer policy-makers a series of institutional recommendations to strengthen democracies.