Democracy in Divided Societies: Week 5

Study Notes

The topic is democracy in divided societies, specifically focusing on Northern Ireland.
The Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland Executive are key elements of the discussion.
The week will cover legitimacy, order, and the tyranny of the majority, along with the origins of Northern Ireland related to sovereignty, legitimacy, and partition.
The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 and the Northern Ireland Executive will be discussed.
A further strand of analysis will be "Strand Two: The North-South Dimension."

The problem of reconciling different opinions, preferences, and interests to maintain social order will be examined.
The question of why societies do not collapse into a "war of all against all" (Hobbes 1651) is a key concept.
The idea of legitimacy involves the belief that a political order is just and valid, and that a ruler or regime is acceptable to its members.
The concept of a "monopoly of coercion" (Max Weber) regarding a state's successful claim on the legitimate use of physical force within its territory is relevant.

This section will delve into how Northern Ireland was created, looking at issues of sovereignty and legitimacy.
The presentation will show historical data about seats won in the 1918 Election, by Unionists.
Data related to the Catholic population distribution in Northern Ireland will be part of this section, showcasing specific census data from 2001.
Maps and population data for Ireland in 2020 will also be included for context.
The history and conflicts surrounding Northern Ireland, including images of periods of conflict, are part of this section.

The Good Friday Agreement is presented as a kind of constitution for Northern Ireland, laying out the governmental structures.
The agreement includes detail about East-West and North-South relationships.
It was publicly approved by the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The Executive's structure involves a First Minister and a Deputy First Minister.
These positions are chosen from the largest parties representing each major viewpoint (unionist or nationalist)
The executive operates using the D'Hondt formula to select officials.
The executive includes a ten-member executive office, similar to the Department of the Taoiseach in the Republic of Ireland, and is comprised of eight different departments and their responsibilities.
Details on how the executive operates and its history of instability, including periods where the executive collapsed, are discussed.

Strand Two focuses on the interactions between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through a North-South Ministerial Council.
The council's objectives and six areas of co-operation will be outlined.
The functions of the North-South Implementation Bodies will also be presented, along with their staff and budgetary information for 2016.