Institutional Engineering and Hybrid Power-sharing in Divided Societies: The Cases of Indonesia and Sub-Saharan Africa

Many societies are strongly divided, especially in ethnic, religious, racial, and ideological terms. Such divisions are usually related to the existence of divergent interests that may lead to serious conflicts between groups and/or between them and state authorities. In order to limit them, participation in decision-making processes by members of different groups is needed. However, it is extremely difficult to establish and maintain effective power-sharing arrangements. This book examines the cases of Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya, and Burundi, where hybrid models of power-sharing have emerged, combining specific elements of consociational and centripetal types. It also explains the specificity, life cycle, and performance of different hybrid systems. In 2000, Donald L. Horowitz and Philippe Van Parijs began the discussion on the possibility of merging consociational and centripetal settlements within the same political system. The monograph, a quarter of a century later, demonstrates real-world examples of such hybridity. “It is clearly a formidable work of scholarship, incisive and comprehensive.” - Donald L. Horowitz, “A persuasive thesis backed up by a wealth of careful case studies.” - Philippe Van Parijs