Editing Consensus democracy

{{short description|Form of government}}
{{Democracy}}

'''Consensus democracy'''<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414012463883 | doi=10.1177/0010414012463883 | title=The Calculus of Consensus Democracy | date=2013 | last1=McGann | first1=Anthony J. | last2=Latner | first2=Michael | journal=Comparative Political Studies | volume=46 | issue=7 | pages=823–850 | url-access=subscription }}</ref> is the application of [[consensus decision-making]] and [[supermajority]] to the process of legislation in a [[democracy]]. It is characterized by a decision-making structure that involves and takes into account as broad a range of opinions as possible, as opposed to [[majoritarian democracy]] systems where minority opinions can potentially be ignored by vote-winning majorities.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2022.2035426 | doi=10.1080/09512748.2022.2035426 | title=The shift to consensus democracy and limits of institutional design in Asia | date=2023 | last1=Kasuya | first1=Yuko | last2=Reilly | first2=Benjamin | journal=The Pacific Review | volume=36 | issue=4 | pages=844–870 | url-access=subscription }}</ref> [[Constitution]]s typically require consensus or supermajority.<ref>[https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/shclj8&i=371 King, Brett W. "The Use of Supermajority Provisions in the Constitution: The Framers, The Federalist Papers and the Reinforcement of a Fundamental Principle." Seton Hall Const. LJ 8 (1997): 363.]</ref>

A consensus government is a [[national unity government]] with representation across the whole [[political spectrum]]. A [[concordance system|concordance democracy]] is a type of consensus democracy where majority rule does not play a central role. Optional referendums and [[popular initiatives]] correspond to consensus democracy.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007137026336 | doi=10.1023/A:1007137026336 | date=2000 | last1=Vatter | first1=Adrian | title=Consensus and direct democracy:Conceptual and empirical linkages | journal=European Journal of Political Research | volume=38 | issue=2 | pages=171–192 | url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Examples==
[[File:NorthWest Territories Legislature Plan 2014 19 Members.svg|thumb|right|The 2019 [[Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories]] is an example of consensus government: all [[Member of the Legislative Assembly|MLA]]s are non-partisan and together elect the [[Premier of the Northwest Territories|Premier]] and Cabinet.]] 
Consensus democracy is most closely embodied in certain countries such as [[Politics of Switzerland|Switzerland]], [[Politics of Germany|Germany]], [[Proporz|Austria]], [[Politics of Denmark|Denmark]], [[Politics of Lebanon|Lebanon]], [[Sweden]], [[Iraq]], and [[Belgium]], where consensus is an important feature of political culture, particularly with a view to preventing the domination of one linguistic or cultural group in the political process.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lijphart |first=A. |title=Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms & Performance in Thirty-six Countries |date=1999 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=0-300-07893-5 |location=New Haven}}</ref> The term [[consociational state]] is used in political science to describe countries with such consensus based political systems. An example of such a system could be the Dutch [[Poldermodel]].
Many parties in Lebanon call for applying consensus democracy, especially at times of crisis.

[[Tripartism]] applies consensus democracy to economic policy by fostering [[social dialogue]] between opposing interest groups, primarily [[National trade union center|national trade unions]] and [[Employers' organization|employers' organizations]].

Consensus government chiefly arises in [[non-partisan democracy|non-partisan democracies]] and similar systems in which a majority of politicians are [[independent (politics)|independent]]. Many former British territories with large [[Indigenous peoples|indigenous]] populations use consensus government to fuse traditional tribal leadership with the [[Westminster system]]. [[Consensus government in Canada]] is used in the [[Northwest Territories]] and [[Nunavut]], as well as the autonomous [[Nunatsiavut]] region, and similar systems have arisen in the Pacific [[island nation]]s of [[Politics of Fiji|Fiji]], [[Politics of Tuvalu|Tuvalu]] and [[Politics of Vanuatu|Vanuatu]], as well as the ancient [[Tynwald]] of the [[Isle of Man]].<ref name="Cabinets">{{cite book|title=Cabinets and First Ministers|pages=58–63|author=Graham White|year=2011|publisher=UBC Press |isbn=978-0774842143}}</ref>

==Electoral systems==
The [[Borda count]] tends to elect broadly-acceptable options or candidates (rather than consistently following the preferences of a majority).<ref name="Lippman">{{Cite book |url=http://www.opentextbookstore.com/mathinsociety/ |title=Math in Society |last=Lippman |first=David |chapter=Voting Theory |quote=Borda count is sometimes described as a consensus-based voting system, since it can sometimes choose a more broadly acceptable option over the one with majority support. |chapter-url=http://www.opentextbookstore.com/mathinsociety/current/VotingTheory.pdf}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Anticipatory democracy]]
*[[Bioregional democracy]]
*[[Coalition government]]
*[[Consensus decision-making]]
*[[Consociationalism]]
*[[Types of democracy]]
*[[Direct democracy]]
*[[Grassroots democracy]]
*[[Hung parliament]]
*[[Jirga]]
*[[List of politics-related topics]]
*[[Minoritarianism]]
*[[Open source governance]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070403022843/http://www.cpn.org/tools/dictionary/consensus.html Consensus Democracy: A New Approach to 21st Century Governance]
*[http://www.metagovernment.org Metagovernment] - Project using the [[wiki]] consensus model as a replacement for current governments.
*[http://www.consensus.net/ On Conflict and Consensus] - A Handbook on Formal Consensus Decisionmaking.
*[http://www.deborda.org  Consensus voting, the Modified Borda Count (MBC)]

{{Coalition Spectrum navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Consensus Democracy}}
[[Category:Comparative politics]]
[[Category:Participatory democracy]]
[[Category:Types of democracy]]
[[Category:Power sharing]]