The Cabinet–Drawer Model (CDM): Interface Pressure and Structural Stall in Rule-Dense Institutional Systems

The Cabinet–Drawer Model (CDM) introduces a structural framework for analyzing institutional tension within rule-dense systems. Rather than treating legal impasse as a failure of reasoning or individual actors, the model reframes stagnation as a structural condition arising from accumulated interface pressure within institutional architectures. The model distinguishes between two levels of institutional operation: Drawers (Domain-Level Coherence): Specialized doctrinal or regulatory subsystems where technical consistency is maintained. Cabinet (System-Level Structure): The overarching institutional architecture that organizes, couples, and constrains interactions among drawers. Within this structure, tension does not emerge primarily from disagreement over legal interpretation, but from pressure accumulation at structural interfaces. When interaction density exceeds calibration capacity, systems may experience stall conditions, interface congestion, or redistribution of structural load. The Cabinet–Drawer Model is situated within the broader analytical stack of: Structural Fiscalistics (SF): The overarching discipline of structural analysis for rule-based institutions. Fiscal Epistemology (FE): A pre-analytical admissibility layer defining what qualifies as a structural unit or computable interaction. Fiscal Geometry (FG): A coordinate-based visibility model mapping institutional interactions. Institutional Tension Field (ITF): A descriptive grammar of pressure accumulation within institutional systems. This document formalizes the Cabinet–Drawer Model as a structural articulation layer connecting domain coherence (drawers) and system-level tension fields (cabinet), providing a non-normative framework for analyzing institutional movement, blockage, and redistribution across rule-dense environments. The framework does not provide legal advice, policy recommendations, or normative evaluation. It offers a structural vocabulary for rendering institutional mechanics visible prior to judgment or reform.