Crisis, Opportunities, and Consociational Federalism:: Reassessing Lijphart’s Work After Half a Century of Consociationalism

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dialnet-ar-18-ART00015163072023-02-01Crisis, Opportunities, and Consociational Federalism:: Reassessing Lijphart’s Work After Half a Century of ConsociationalismGuénette, DaveconsociationalismfederalismLijphartBelgiumSwitzerlandCanadaHalf a century ago, Dutch political scientist Arend Lijphart crafted the concept of consociational democracy (or consociationalism). His theory first aimed at explaining how divided societies could be politically stable, but was then used as a normative attempt to propose an institutional framework for power-sharing arrangements in plural contexts. For Lijphart, this framework is to be used to address the structural “crisis” that is looming in divided societies, a crisis that results from the majority-minority(ies) relationships. The concept of consociationalism, when it is combined or merged with federalism, becomes consociational federalism, a model that can serve both as a practical tool and as a normative theory to study and compare divided societies. This is the exercise in which we engaged in fine, comparing how Belgium, Switzerland and Canada have developed structures and practices infused with consociational federalism. Our conclusion is that, while they are not necessarily three consociational democracies, these three federations have nevertheless put in place mechanisms for cohesion and collaboration. Thus, consociationalism seems to be a valuable remedy to the crisis of divided societies, a guiding principle in their quest for stability, cohesion and good governance.2021text (article)application/pdfhttps://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/oaiart?codigo=8331305(Revista) ISSN 1886-2632Revista d'estudis autonòmics i federals, ISSN 1886-2632, Nº. 34, 2021, pags. 375-406catLICENCIA DE USO: Los documentos a texto completo incluidos en Dialnet son de acceso libre y propiedad de sus autores y/o editores. Por tanto, cualquier acto de reproducción, distribución, comunicación pública y/o transformación total o parcial requiere el consentimiento expreso y escrito de aquéllos. Cualquier enlace al texto completo de estos documentos deberá hacerse a través de la URL oficial de éstos en Dialnet. Más información: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/info/derechosOAI | INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS STATEMENT: Full text documents hosted by Dialnet are protected by copyright and/or related rights. This digital object is accessible without charge, but its use is subject to the licensing conditions set by its authors or editors. Unless expressly stated otherwise in the licensing conditions, you are free to linking, browsing, printing and making a copy for your own personal purposes. All other acts of reproduction and communication to the public are subject to the licensing conditions expressed by editors and authors and require consent from them. Any link to this document should be made using its official URL in Dialnet. More info: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/info/derechosOAI

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Revista d'estudis autonòmics i federals, ISSN 1886-2632, Nº. 34, 2021, pags. 375-406

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consociationalism
federalism
Lijphart
Belgium
Switzerland
Canada

consociationalism
federalism
Lijphart
Belgium
Switzerland
Canada
Guénette, Dave
Crisis, Opportunities, and Consociational Federalism:: Reassessing Lijphart’s Work After Half a Century of Consociationalism

Half a century ago, Dutch political scientist Arend Lijphart crafted the concept of consociational democracy (or consociationalism). His theory first aimed at explaining how divided societies could be politically stable, but was then used as a normative attempt to propose an institutional framework for power-sharing arrangements in plural contexts. For Lijphart, this framework is to be used to address the structural “crisis” that is looming in divided societies, a crisis that results from the majority-minority(ies) relationships. The concept of consociationalism, when it is combined or merged with federalism, becomes consociational federalism, a model that can serve both as a practical tool and as a normative theory to study and compare divided societies. This is the exercise in which we engaged in fine, comparing how Belgium, Switzerland and Canada have developed structures and practices infused with consociational federalism. Our conclusion is that, while they are not necessarily three consociational democracies, these three federations have nevertheless put in place mechanisms for cohesion and collaboration. Thus, consociationalism seems to be a valuable remedy to the crisis of divided societies, a guiding principle in their quest for stability, cohesion and good governance.

Article

Guénette, Dave

Guénette, Dave

Guénette, Dave

Crisis, Opportunities, and Consociational Federalism:: Reassessing Lijphart’s Work After Half a Century of Consociationalism

Crisis, Opportunities, and Consociational Federalism:: Reassessing Lijphart’s Work After Half a Century of Consociationalism

Crisis, Opportunities, and Consociational Federalism:: Reassessing Lijphart’s Work After Half a Century of Consociationalism

Crisis, Opportunities, and Consociational Federalism:: Reassessing Lijphart’s Work After Half a Century of Consociationalism

Crisis, Opportunities, and Consociational Federalism:: Reassessing Lijphart’s Work After Half a Century of Consociationalism

crisis, opportunities, and consociational federalism:: reassessing lijphart’s work after half a century of consociationalism

2021

https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/oaiart?codigo=8331305

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