“Institutions shape politics. Rules and standard procedures of institutions, leave their mark on the political medium, namely because they structure political behavior. Institutions influence because they give shape to identity, power and strategy.

– Institutions are shaped by history. History matters because of its dependency trail: what happens first (even if somewhat accidentally) influences what will happen later. Individuals can choose their institutions, but cannot chose the circumstances created by them and their choices influence the rules by which their successors will have to choose by.”