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Theorizing the resilience of the Indian Act
Author(s) -
Morden Michael
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
canadian public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.361
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1754-7121
pISSN - 0008-4840
DOI - 10.1111/capa.12162
Subject(s) - antipathy , legitimacy , institutionalism , resistance (ecology) , politics , credibility , capital (architecture) , corporate governance , positive economics , political science , political economy , new institutionalism , historical institutionalism , sociology , law and economics , law , economics , history , archaeology , finance , biology , ecology
The Indian Act, 1876 has exhibited extraordinary resistance to major change – despite inspiring universal antipathy. This puzzle is addressed by applying institutionalist theories designed to explain continuity. Both the rational choice and historical versions of institutionalism offer partial explanations for the resilience of the Indian Act – and both can be used to predict change. Discursive institutionalism completes the theoretical puzzle by drawing attention to legitimacy norms. The Indian Act is an example of a “legitimacy trap” – it imposes limits on participation in the policy discussion, but saps the credibility and political capital of those leaders upon whom it confers standing, inhibiting change.