Power-Sharing Institutional and Social Reform in Divided Societi

by O'Flynn, Ian; Russell, David O.; Horowitz, Donald

• ISBN13: 9780745322926
• ISBN10: 0745322921
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-10-20
• Publisher: Pluto Press

Summary

It is widely assumed that internal power-sharing is a viable democratic means of managing inter-communal conflict in divided societies. In principle, this form of government enables communities that have conflicting identities to remedy longstanding patterns of discrimination and to co-exist peacefully. Key arguments in support of this view can be found in the highly influential works of Arend Lijphart and Donald Horowitz. Power-Sharing seeks to explore the unintended consequences of power-sharing for the communities themselves, their individual members, and for others in society. More specifically, it is distinctive in questioning explicitly whether power sharing: perpetuates inter-communal conflict by institutionalising difference at the political level; inhibits conflict resolution by encouraging extremism; stifles internal diversity; and fails to leave sufficient space for individual autonomy. This book not only provides a theoretical exploration and critique of these questions, but comprehensively examines specific test cases where power-sharing institutions have been established, including in Northern Ireland, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Lebanon. It also explores such issues as the role of political leaders, human rights instruments, the position of women, and the prospects for reconciliation within such societies. Furthermore it provides a detailed set of policy recommendations to meet the challenges of transition in deeply-divided societies.

Author Biography

Ian O’Flynn is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Essex and Visiting Scholar at Harvard.

David Russell is currently Research Associate at the Centre for Lebanese Studies, Oxford University.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vii
Introduction: New Challenges for Power Sharing	p. 1
Conceptual Issues
Democratic Values and Power Sharing	p. 15
Integration and Autonomy: Minority Rights and Political Accommodation	p. 30
Breaking Antagonism? Political Leadership in Divided Societies	p. 45
Electoral-Systems Design and Power-Sharing Regimes	p. 59
Case Studies
The Failure of Moderate Politics: The Case of Northern Ireland	p. 77
The Unintended Consequences of Consociational Federalism: The Case of Belgium	p. 92
Partial Implementation, Partial Success: The Case of Macedonia	p. 107
The Dichotomy of International Mediation and Leader Intransigence: The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina	p. 123
Power Sharing and National Reconciliation: The Case of Lebanon	p. 138
Deepening Democracy
Overlapping Identities: Power Sharing and Women's Rights	p. 155
Below and Beyond Power Sharing: Relational Structures across Institutions and Civil Society	p. 172
The Challenge of Reconciliation in Post-conflict Societies: Definitions, Problems and Proposals	p. 188
Towards a Civic Culture: Implications for Power-sharing Policy Makers	p. 204
List of Contributors	p. 219
Index	p. 223
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.