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Arend Lijphart and Consociationalism in Cyprus

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Book cover Consociationalism and Power-Sharing in Europe

Part of the book series: International Political Theory ((IPoT))

Abstract

This chapter examines the development of consociational theory by Arend Lijphart and its implications for the case of Cyprus. The chapter is divided into three parts. First, it examines the failure of consociationalism in Cyprus in the early 1960s only after three years following independence. It argues that the case of Cyprus can provide an insightful story as to how power-sharing arrangements fail in deeply divided and post-conflict societies. At the same time, the chapter puts forward a set of alternative explanations as to why the Cypriot experience does not provide a rebuttal for Lijphart consociational reasoning. The chapter goes on to examine the degree to which past United Nations (UN) proposals for Cyprus have relied on Lijphart’s prescriptions (or his critics) concluding with a set of novel recommendations for rethinking a “gentler and kinder” consensus democracy for united federal Cyprus.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Arend Lijphart. 1969. ‘Consociational Democracy’ . World Politics 21 (2): 207–225. p. 216.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Politics & International Relations, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK

    Neophytos Loizides

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  1. Neophytos Loizides
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom

    Michaelina Jakala

  2. Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom

    Durukan Kuzu

  3. Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom

    Matt Qvortrup

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Loizides, N. (2018). Arend Lijphart and Consociationalism in Cyprus. In: Jakala, M., Kuzu, D., Qvortrup, M. (eds) Consociationalism and Power-Sharing in Europe. International Political Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67098-0_8

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