Irish Academic Press Imposing Power-Sharing: Conflict and Coexistence in Northern Ireland and Lebanon

This book is a comparative analysis of power sharing agreements and peace processes in Northern Ireland and Lebanon, examining parallel journeys both societies took through power sharing to civil war, returning to power sharing again. It criticises and builds on the consociational democracy literature and takes an international perspective, arguing that the external states with an interest in these ethno-national conflicts largely determined the outcome of their power sharing accords. It evaluates and contrasts the imposition of power sharing as a means to regulate ethnic conflict in a democratic environment with a non-democratic one. What makes the book unique is its ability to compare for the first time in print the ethnic conflicts and power-sharing agreements in both countries. The sources used are based on exclusive access in the UK, Ireland and Lebanon with over 125 interviews conducted for the book. This timely publication brings the situation in both parts of the world up to date and evaluates the costs and benefits of external intervention in divided societies by regional or international powers.