The Northern Ireland conflict : consociational engagements /

The authors, self-described "revisionist consociationalists," bring 20 years of experience applying Arend Lijphart's theory of consociation to the case of Northern Ireland. Accordingly, they join a rigorous treatment of the institutional and structural aspects of the Northern Ireland case to careful consideration of the ongoing attempts to resolve the conflict. This volume includes previously published material from 1987 to the present. Earlier chapters are oriented to the prospects and characteristics of the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 and attempts to establish local power-sharing government in Northern Ireland. Later chapters address individual issues such as human rights, policing, and the international context. At first glance, some chapters seem rather dated individually; however, the important effect of the book is cumulative. Each chapter applies theory in great detail; in sum, the volume becomes a rich tapestry of thinking on Northern Ireland both historically and comparatively. While articulating an overall commitment to consociational theory, McGarry (Queens Univ., Canada) and O'Leary (Univ. of Pennsylvania) make important advances by considering the possibilities of "coerced consociationalism" in the context of Northern Ireland. With considerable comparative discussion of other theoretical approaches, the authors have produced an essential addition to the literature. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. S. P. Duffy Quinnipiac University