ABSTRACT
The birth of the political model in higher education is unmistakably identified with the early 1970s writings of J. Victor Baldridge. Higher education organizational theorists suggested that political model might better explain higher education organizations than other choices available. The purpose of political systems is to make decisions that achieve goals of political actors and influence parts or whole of an organization. "Members of political systems interact with one another to influence the meeting of desires and objectives through decisions that allocate resources, give approvals or denials, move agendas forward or delay their progress". The interest articulation model of Baldridge is enhanced with inclusion of positive theories of institutions (PTI), articulated by Pusser in 2003 but yet to be fully incorporated into political model as used in higher education. PTI "moves beyond the analysis of organizational decision making as an endogenous process, as it suggests that external influences and interests benefit from, and endeavor to influence, organizational structures and policies".
