From institutions to extitutions to the post-institutional theory of institutional anomalies

The paper proposes to abandon the one-sidedly negative interpretation of institutional anomalies (non-optimal, inefficient, dysfunctional institutions) and rethink them as the main products and manifestations of institutional complexity. The concept of extitutions is introduced, which are understood as models of social order that go beyond the bounds of institutions and are based on variations of norms. The extitutional interpretation of the nature of institutional anomalies allows a critical review of the traditionally associated dichotomies (e.g. opposition of ideal and dysfunctional, inclusive and extractive institutions), analytical approaches (functionalist, mechanistic, isolationist, static, etc.) and stereotypes (e.g. assessment of institutions from the standpoint of public interests, “presumption of guilt” of interest groups, stigmatization of hybrid institutional trajectories, etc.). The article proposed a set of conceptual shifts towards increasing the objectivity and realism of the analysis of institutional anomalies in line with the research program of post-institutionalism.