Definition:
Institutional self-alignment is the tendency of organisations or systems to interpret rules, evidence, and constraints in ways that quietly align with their own interests while presenting those interpretations as neutral, reasonable, or inevitable.
Usage Context:
Seen in public administration, corporate governance, platform moderation, regulatory enforcement, and welfare systems.
Critical Note:
Self-alignment rarely requires bad faith. It emerges from incentive structures, internal norms, and risk avoidance. Because outcomes appear sensible from within the institution, harm is externalised without ever being explicitly chosen.
Related Terms:
Punitive Neutrality, Accountability Deficit, Behavioural Governance