The Myth of Power-Sharing and Polarisation: Evidence from Northern Ireland

Matthew Whiting; Stefan Bauchowitz

doi:10.1177/0032321720948662

The Myth of Power-Sharing and Polarisation: Evidence from Northern Ireland

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Whether power-sharing increases polarisation or not in post-conflict societies remains deeply contested. Yet, we currently lack an adequate conceptualisation of polarisation to assess the link (if any) between the two. This article offers a new conceptualisation of polarisation and uses this to gather evidence from Northern Ireland to argue that the assumption that power-sharing entrenches polarisation is not the reality that many think it is. By examining legislator voting records, speeches by party leaders, manifestos and public opinion data, we disaggregate polarisation into different issues, track it over time, and examine both elite and mass levels. We find that overall polarisation declined, albeit some limited polarisation remained in cultural and identity issues, but these were of low salience. We argue that this is the result of parties using identity instrumentally for electoral distinction in a system of convergence – a process that is independent of the effects of power-sharing.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	81-109
Number of pages	30
Journal	Political Studies
Volume	70
Issue number	1
Early online date	12 Sept 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0032321720948662
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2022

Bibliographical note

Keywords

power sharing
polarisation
Northern Ireland

Access to Document

10.1177/0032321720948662Licence: CC BY-NC

The Myth of Power-Sharing and Polarisation: Evidence from Northern Ireland
© The Author(s) 2020
Final published version, 583 KBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

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