Building Democracy in Ireland: Political Order and Cultural Integration in a Newly Independent Nation

by Jeffrey Prager

• ISBN13: 9780521125116
• ISBN10: 0521125111
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-12-10
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Most of the independent nations of the twentieth century have been racked by political disorder and social instability. Ireland is one of the few to have successfully established a stable democratic order. In this book, Jeffrey Prager examines the first decade of Irish independence in order to explain how the Republic of Ireland achieved democracy. In so doing, he provides a deeper understanding of the Irish case while shedding light on the process of democratic consolidation in modern state-building. His combination of political and cultural approaches also contributes to the development of a political sociology that encompasses the problem of cultural meaning as a crucial domain of analysis. By exploring the interconnections between political structures, social activities, and cultural legacies, he promotes an awareness of the vital dimensions of political life and institutions.

Table of Contents

Preface

Democracy in Ireland: Theoretical and Empirical Problems

Introduction: theoretical considerations in the study of political stability in new nations

Irish cultural schisms and the meaning of political disorder

The free state constitution and the institutionalisation of value strains

Patterns of Crisis Resolution in the Irish Free State, 1922-1932

The Army mutiny and normative political challenges

The boundary commission crisis and the development of strategies of political efficacy

The limits of effective rule: the assassination of Kevin O'Higgins and its aftermath

The Character of Irish Democracy

The democratic achievement in Ireland: the reconciliation of culture and politics

The uniqueness of Irish democracy

Notes

References

Index

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