Social institutions are relatively stable patterns of behavior or joint action that help overcome fundamental problems and perform a function in society. The robustness of such institutions underlies their effectiveness at solving problems, but such robustness is difficult to assess. Building on...

In this article, we argue that every typology should be constructed in a systematic, transparent process. Moreover, to validate a typology's explanatory value, a typological approach must rest on a strong theoretical foundation. We both propose such an approach and apply it to construct three...