Consociational democracy as a mechanism for managing conflict in divided societies: A comparative study of selected international experiences

Abstract

 This study addresses the great challenges that many divided countries suffer from, namely accommodating the political differences resulting from the homogeneity between the different sects of society, whether sectarian or religious. The idea of ​​consensual democracy came as an applied model for bridging divided political viewpoints, by Involving all sectors of society in a political approach aimed at to manage diversity and difference democratically, with parliamentary representation representing all segments of divided society in proportion to the size of each sect in this consensual democratic system, in order to create a stable political and economic environment that preserves the unity and stability of the state. Therefore, this study focuses on understanding what consensual democracy is, its origins, and its characteristics.  The reasons for its success and failure, its advantages and disadvantages, and ensuring the applicability of the idea in other societies.