The dynamics/computation debate recalls a similar debate in the evolutionary biology community concerning the relative primacy of theories of structure versus theories of change. A full account of cognition will require a rapprochement between such theories and will include both computational and dynamical notions. The key to making computation relevant to cognition is not making it analog, but...

This paper compares some recent theoretical approaches to conceptualizing institutional change, in an effort to clarify areas of consensus and disagreement regarding the causes, process, and outcomes of institutional change. We do not attempt to build a “new” theory, and our survey is not intended to be comprehensive. Among the theories we discuss, some emphasize spontaneous evolutionary proces...