Two Cheers for Consociational Democracy? Reforming the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive

2014 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 757-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Wilford
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Consociational Democracy

scholarly journals Cross-segmental parties in consociational systems: Downplaying prowess to access power in Northern Ireland

2021 ◽  
pp. 136914812110485
Author(s):  
Timofey Agarin ◽  
Henry Jarrett
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
Green Party ◽  
Electoral Success ◽  
Consociational Democracy ◽  
Political Divide

Political parties are afforded a key role in making consociational democracy work; however, parties that dis-identify with salient identities and appeal to voters across the ethno-political divide face barriers when interacting with voters and with other, segmental parties. Nevertheless, such cross-segmental parties often thrive and even ascend to power. Northern Ireland’s cross-segmental parties – the Alliance Party, the Green Party, and People before Profit – have sought to traverse group-specific voter interests and set their agenda apart from that of segmental parties. For such parties to be considered ‘coalitionable’, they should outline their (potential) governing contribution to complement other political parties’ agendas. Cross-segmental parties’ participation in government makes them appear electable, but it is the focus on bipartisan concerns that consolidates their electoral success and ensures their political relevance. We focus on the evolution of Alliance’s political agenda and fill a gap in the literature on the relevance of cross-segmental parties in consociations.

The Framework Document on Northern Ireland and the Theory of Power‐Sharing

1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arend Lijphart
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Power Sharing ◽  
Sufficient Condition ◽  
British Government ◽  
Divided Societies ◽  
Democratic Government ◽  
Consociational Democracy ◽  
The Future ◽  
Framework Document

The Purpose of This Article is To Analyse The Document ‘A Framework for Accountable Government in Northern Ireland’, published by the British government in early 1995, and to assess its significance in terms of the theory of powersharing (consociational democracy). The Framework Document, as it is usually called, received a hostile reception from many Unionist politicians in Northern Ireland. The ideas that it contains, however, resonate with many previous blueprints for the future of Northern Ireland. In some form they are very likely to re-emerge in the proposed solutions that will follow the ‘all-party’ talks set for June 1996. I shall show that the Framework plan for democratic government in Northern Ireland is completely and thoroughly consociational in its orientation. It confirms the proposition that power-sharing is a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for viable democracy in deeply divided societies.

Housebuilding Productivity in Northern Ireland

Urban Studies ◽  
1967 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-136
Author(s):  
M.C. Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland

Normative Influences on Intergroup Attitudes in Northern Ireland and South Africa

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diala R. Hawi ◽  
Linda R. Tropp ◽  
David A. Butz ◽  
Mirona A. Gheorghiu ◽  
Alexandra M. Zetes
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Intergroup Attitudes ◽  
Normative Influences
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