Lijphart presents his arguments in favor of consociational democracy. See his other works to appreciate the development of this theme. Dec 20, 2019 for all that, the second decade of the twenty. Since the publication of the politics of accommodation 1968 and democracy in plural societies 1977 professor lijpharts theories and practical implementations have played a key role in establishing enduring peace settlements. May 26, 2008 arend lijphart is best known for his theory of consociational or power sharing democracy, which enables the peaceful governance of deeply divided societies. This book examines the theoretical and practical relevance and challenges of the consociationalist model of democracy. Lijphart amended this topic so he could write on his usual theme, consociational powersharing democracy. While his power sharing model has been widely criticized, it is also being adopted in countries as diverse as the netherlands, india, austria, south africa, and malaysia.
The basic purpose of the work is to explore the nature of consociational systems of government in stable western democracies and to investigate whether these provide a good blueprint that. Lijphart accurately cites dahrendorfs book society and democracy in. The bestresearched book on democracy in the world today. Arend lijpharts 1969 article on consociational democracy was a compelling critique of prevailing theories of democratic stability and the launching pad for one of the most widely regarded research. National institute of advanced studies 3,058 views. It is an indispensable work for all students of democracy and comparative politics, in part because it provides a frank and fascinating portrait of how the concepts. In particular, consider his 1977 book, democracy in plural societies. In this earlier book, he emphasized consociational democracy as a solution for states where traditional majoritarian democracy might not work due to deep ethnic, linguistic, or religious cleavages. Patterns of democracy is a foundational work in politics, especially comparative, and it was one of the most helpful books i invested in for my first term of politics at university. Consociational democracy world politics cambridge core. Indeed, polarization has come to mark the politics of many other. Political scientists define a consociational state as one which has major internal divisions along ethnic, religious, or linguistic lines, with none of the divisions large enough to form a majority group, but which remains stable due to. These books are much more than simple studies of particular countries. A second factor favorable to consociational democracy, in the sense that it helps the elites to recognize the necessity of cooperation, is a multiple balance of power among the subcultures instead of either a dual balance of power or a clear hegemony by one subculture.
The author is indebted to the institute of international studies, berkeley, for financial support. Corporate consociationalism predetermines power positions among ethnic and sectarian national groups, such as pre. In his 1968 book, the politics of accommodation, lijphart cited clas. He recommends consociational democracy based on partnershipas the suitable model for pluralistic societies. Project muse lijphart, lakatos, and consociationalism. Pluralism and democracy in the netherlands when the university of california press asked me in the fall of 1966 to be a reader of the manuscript.
Political scientists define a consociational state as one which has major internal divisions along ethnic, religious, or linguistic lines, with none of the divisions large enough to form a majority group, but which remains stable due to consultation among the elites of these groups. This is a thorough, technical and theoretical exploration of what lijphart terms consociational democracy as a form of democracy suited to plural societies. Org 1 arend lijphart on sharing power in africa and the future of democracy arend lijphart is best known for his theory of consociational or power sharing democracy, which enables the peaceful. Arend lijphart on sharing power in africa and the future of. Lijphart explores the functioning of democracy in countries with deep religious, ideological, linguistic, cultural, and ethnic cleavages. Consociational democracy by arend lijphart summary. According to huneeus 1985, spanish politics after the transition to democracy was consociational at the systemic. Examining thirtysix democracies during the period from 1945 to 2010, lijphart arrives at importantand unexpectedconclusions about what type of democracy works best. Arend lijphart is one of the world s leading and most influential political scientists whose work has had a profound impact on the study of democracy and comparative politics. Arend lijpharts 1969 article on consociational democracy was a compelling critique of prevailing theories of democratic stability and the launching pad for. The trajectory of the consociational research program, as inaugurated by arend lijphart s 1969 article in world politics, consociational democ. Yale university press, 1977 political science 248 pages.
Renewed scholarly interest in democracy in divided societies in. Arend lijpharts 1969 article on consociational democracy was a compelling critique of prevailing theories of democratic stability and the launching pad for one of the most widely regarded research programs in contemporary comparative politics. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. I thought it was approachable and relatively wellwritten. In todays world, the protection of individual rights in terms of negative liberty. Nov 30, 2007 arend lijphart is one of the world s leading and most influential political scientists whose work has had a profound impact on the study of democracy and comparative politics. In fact, the books by huyse, lijphart, and steiner are, in.
Lijphart is the primary advocate of the consensus consociational approach. Government forms and performance in thirtysix countries 2nd revised edition by lijphart, arend isbn. Since the publication of the politics of accommodation 1968 and democracy in plural. Consociational democracy in multiethnic societies bolte, patrick on. Almonds famous typology of political systems, first. However, lijphart and others who adopted consociational approaches encountered severe logical, theoretical, and empirical criticisms of their work. The favourable factors for consociational democracy. Democracy in plural societies yale university press. Arend lijphart s 1969 article on consociational democracy was a compelling critique of prevailing theories of democratic stability and the launching pad for one of the most widely regarded. Czechoslovakia was a consociational democracy from 1989 until its partition in 1993. Plural societies and democratic regimes consociational democracy favorable conditions for consociational democracy consociational elements in nonconsociational democracies consociational democracy in the third world consocialtional example as colonial heritage consociational engineering. Hans daalder, state formation, parties and democracy. Where consociationalism has ended, it often did so not because of its failure but.
Consociationalism and powersharing in europe arend lijpharts. However, lijphart and others who adopted consociational approaches encountered severe logical. Thus, switzerland has been characterized as a consociational democracy since 1943, belgium after world war i, austria from 1945 to 1966, and the netherlands from 1917 to 1967. Lijphart university of leiden explores the functioning of democracy in countries with deep religious, ideological, linguistic, cultural, and ethnic cleavages and, contrary to conventional wisdom, commends consociational democracy as the suitable model to plural societies and to severely segmented societies of the third world. He has an amazing grasp of the relevant literature, and hes compiled an unmatched collection of data. I april i968, 344, and consociational democracy, world politics, xxi january i969. Arend lijphart is known for his works on comparative methods,1 electoral systems,2 and nonmajoritarian or powersharing democracy. Pdf consociational democracy in theory and practice.
This is what lijphart calls consociational democracy. First, the data set does not include books, a serious miss given that some of. To many, the trump experience in the us marks the unrivalled showcase of polarizing political leadership that has produced a deeply divided country. Lijphart argues that consensus democracy is better see below. Thinking about democracy draws on a lifetimes experience of research and publication in this area and collects together for the first time his most significant and. The theory was extended as new consociational democracies were discovered, as the related but broader concept of consensus democracy was introduced, and as a normative component was added, recommending consociational engineering as the most promising way to achieve stable democracy in strongly segmented societies. However, in various countries, such as lebanon and iraq, consociational democracy has yielded corporate forms of power sharing that have been referred to as. Abstract consociational democracy as the goal and a tool in mitigating conflict in the third world has been frequently used during the last decades, especially in subsaharan africa. The consociational democracy theme, world politics 26 4. This requires that the leaders feel at least some commitment to the maintenance of the unity of the country as well as a commitment to democratic practices. I first read the lijphart book entitled the politics of accommodation. The concept of consociational democracy synonymous with the less polysyllabic and more readily understandable term powersharing democracy can be defined in terms of the four elements of grand coalition, autonomy, proportionality, and mutual veto, and it is preferable not to narrow it by including plural society as a fifth element.
Thinking about democracy is the definitive collection of four decades of work on the powersharing model of democracy by its most important analyst and advocate, arend lijphart. Consociational democracy volume 21 issue 2 arend lijphart. Table 1 the characteristics of majoritarian democracy, consensus democracy, and consociational democracy adapted from lijphart 1984a, 1989a. Consociational democracy entails the cooperation by segmental leaders in spite of the deep cleavages separating the segments. Consociational parties and political accommodation in. While it may be difficult to achieve and maintain stable democratic governments in countries with deep religious, ideological, linguistic, cultural, or ethnic cleavages, lijphart argues that it is not at all impossible.
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