新制度主義(New Institutionalism)的概念源自於經濟學，通說起自於Ronald Coase 在1937年所著 公司的本質 一書，借用其交易成本的觀念以分析經濟組織，同時此派的新制度主義修正了眾多新古典經濟學派的假設，所進一步發展出來對制度研究的觀點，然而對於制度的研究不僅在經濟學界，社會學與政治學領域近年也興起一股「新制度主義」的風潮。因此所謂「新制度主義」的理論內涵為何?不同學科的新制度主義有何差別?在此本文企圖以研究制度的各種主義、學派的歷史角度加以分析探討說明之；其次、關於這些新制度主義在不同領域的應用情形，以及就所謂新制度主義當中部份需要澄清的一些概念再加以檢視，以希望能夠對新制度主義的理論內涵有更完整的認識。

The concept of ’New Institutionalism' is originated from Economics, especially from Ronald Coase's writing-The Nature of Firm in 1937, which applied transaction cost concept to analyze the economic organization and modified some hypnoses of the New Classic Economic, and had became a perspective of researching institution. The New Institutionalism of institution research is not only applied in Economics, in recent years, but also in Sociology and Political Science. What is ‘New Institutionalism'? What are the differences in these subjects? This text attempts to c1arifythese questions. Secondly, it will review the application of New Institutionalism in many areas and some concepts within. By doing this, it hopes to present a holistic view of New Institutionalism.