Abstract
The 1998 Multiparty Agreement established a consociational system that contains within it an explicit dualism: unionist/nationalist, north and south of Ireland, and British and Irish. But although this formula has facilitated relatively stable and devolved governance, it is based on a distorted representation of a society in which there are much more complex divisions and, indeed, many common problems. Citizen-led efforts towards deliberative democracy since the 1980s have demonstrated both the will and the capacity for alternative, consensual political expressions. This chapter examines the challenges and opportunities facing these citizen-led initiatives in a political environment which, despite the significant decline in violence and terror, seems stubbornly resistant to the idea of broadening the various means of democratic participation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Democratic Deliberation in Deeply Divided Societies: From Conflict to Common Ground |
| Editors | Juan Ugarizza, Didier Caluwaerts |
| Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
| Pages | 11-34 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781137357809 |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2014 |
Keywords
- Democracy and Democratic Processes, Northern Ireland, Consociationalism, Consensus, National GovernmentPolitical Analysis, Conflict Resolution
Access to Document
- Deliberative Democracy in Northern Ireland: Opportunities and challenges for consensus in a consociational system
Copyright 2014 Hayward Ugarriza, E., Caluwaerts, D. (Eds.), Democratic Deliberation in Deeply Divided Societies: From Conflict to Common Ground, 2014, Published by Palgrave Macmillan reproduced with permission of Palgrave Macmillan. This extract is taken from the author's original manuscript and has not been edited. The definitive, published, version of record is available here: http://www.palgrave.com/gb/book/9781137357809