Thorstein Veblen and Institutionalism

Institutionalism is an economic point of view that emphasizes the role of social organization and structure in modern economic life. Thorstein Veblen (18571929), an American son of Norwegian immigrants was instrumental in creating this school of thought in the early twentieth century, and he vigorously attacked what he regarded as the privileged leisure class in American. To Institutionalists, the important institutions of economic life include customs, habits, morals, and laws. These are believed to be more important in shaping economic life than are marketplace principles. Institutionalists emphasize a historical interpretation of social life, asserting that economic generalizations should be relevant to time and place. They believe that economics has few absolute principles, and therefore that economics cannot be a rigorous science. Institutionalist ideas greatly influenced economic policies that were created in response to the Great Depression. Among the most important followers of this tradition in the late twentieth century has been John Kenneth Galbraith.