On the Origins of the Consociational Democracy Model

In: Acta politica: AP ; international journal of political science ; official journal of the Dutch Political Science Association (Nederlandse Kring voor Wetenschap der Politiek), Band 19, Heft 1, S. 97-116

Abstract

The history & development of the concept of consociational democracy, proposed originally by Arend Lijphart (The Politics of Accommodation: Pluralism and Democracy in the Netherlands, U of California Press, 1968) are traced. The history of the Netherlands & interpretations of its politics predating Lijphart's are recounted. The state of comparative politics as a field is also outlined. Lijphart achieved a notable success, based on combining two theoretical foci: comparative elites, & the degree of fragmentation in political culture. Despite its substantial contributions, however, Lijphart's book is somewhat lacking in empirical evidence, being primarily analytical in focus & limited to a single case; moreover, its imitators sometimes fail to share its theoretical subtlety, making its influence not wholly favorable. W. H. Stoddard