New Institutionalism: Public Agents’ Choices Based on Individual Interests

Abstract

This essay aims to explore the emergence of new institutional theory based on the historical context of the formation of modern society with the change in basic cultural rules. It is observed that there is a change in the power to govern, which was previously given by God or inherited and now depends on the will of society. A movement of rationalization of choices emerges that end up leading to private interests. The vision of the matrix of classic sociological thinkers ends up influencing the intellectual orientations of the Western world and brings important statements to understand the organizations of modern society. The study concludes that the new institutional theory and the theory of public choice help to understand the actions of public agents in favor of their individual interests.